photo courtesy BlueRidgeAdventures.net.

Over on the Facebook fan page we asked for 2010 mountain bike goals and many of the responses had to do with long format racing (anything over 6 hours) and endurance racing. Along those same lines I’m hoping to try a multi-day stage race in 2010 or 2011 so I started doing a little research. Mountain bike stage racing seems to be growing with new races popping up each year and in 2010 you can find races pretty much everywhere.

Here is a list of the 2010 MTB stage races I was able to find online. Feel free to fill in any I may have missed via the comment form at the bottom of the page.

Arizona Trail 300 (starts April 23): The AZT 300 isn’t technically a stage race (there are no checkpoints) and it’s probably the most low key event on this list with zero official support. Still, the 300 mile race covers the scenic and rugged Arizona Trail starting at Parker Canyon Lake. Last year’s winner took just over 2 and a half days to complete the race.

Trans-Sylvania Epic (May 30 - June 5): This is the first annual Trans-Sylvania Epic and the race will take place in Central Pennsylvania in the area around State College, PA. Over 7 days riders will complete stages from 10-60 miles in length.

Tour Divide (starts June 11): Tour Divide is the world’s longest mountain bike race and covers 2,745 miles in a single stage. Racers start in the Canadian Rockies and ends in badlands of the Mexican plateau. All riders must be completely self-supported.

BC Bike Race (June 27 - July 3): This is the mack daddy of mountain bike stage races and covers some of the best mountain bike trails British Columbia has to offer from Vancouver to Whistler.

Trans Rockies (August 8-14): Trans Rockies is easily one of the most well-supported mountain bike stage races and like the BC Bike Race, this one takes place in British Columbia (Canada). Solo riders may compete in the 3-day race while teams of 2 are welcome to compete in the 7-day event.

Trans Wales (August 14-21): Sponsored by Gore Bike Wear, this is the fourth annual event and is limited to 300 riders. If you’ve never been to the UK this could be a great opportunity to explore.

Pisgah Mountain Bike Stage Race (September 14-18): This is just the second annual event but if the 2009 race is any indication, this will be a quality race. Pro riders Jeremiah Bishop and Sue Haywood competed last year so get your entry in early to secure your spot!

The first ever Pisgah Mountain Bike Stage Race is happening next month and from what we’ve read this could be a very cool race. Riders will compete over 4 days, riding 145 miles of technical, gnarly singletrack inside the Pisgah National Forest near Asheville, NC. Averaging 36 miles a day doesn’t sound like much until you realize the total includes 38,000 feet of climbing (that’s nearly 10,000 feet per day)!

There are already some big names signed up to compete this year including Jeremiah Bishop and teammate Ben Sonntag. BikeRumor reports some other well known riders are planning to race as well, though we can’t confirm. Registration is still open but there are only 150 spots available.

Race organizers claim the cash prize purse ($15,000) is the largest for any American (mountain bike) stage race which appears to be true. Of course more well known MTB stage races like La Ruta take pride in the fact that they don’t offer big cash prizes for the winners. I guess sometimes glory alone isn’t enough to lure top riders

We wrote about the Khanchendzonga Mountain Bike Challenge back in January because it sounded like an interesting multi-day race through the Indian Himilayas. Apparently the race wrapped up a few days ago but the winners are miffed because they found out the promised prize money was cut in half, in some cases barely covering the race entry fees.

American Harlan Pryce, the winner of the 2 week race, said “We will never come back to Sikkim, we have been very badly cheated as the prize money promised to us were not given.” Ouch. Racers also complained that some of the race stops didn’t even have water or toilets - not all that surprising given the third world location but disappointing for those who paid $500 just to enter the race.

Things don’t look good for the Khanchendzonga Mountain Bike Challenge coming back next year - if it does, be prepared to rough it and don’t expect to receive all your prize money Mountain biking racing is all about the glory anyway.

If you’re seeking a little adventure on the cheap in 2009 consider the Khanchendzonga Mountain Bike Challenge March 18-30 in the Indian Himalayas. The race course will cover 267 miles and nearly 46,000 feet of climbing over nine days of racing. The best part (other than getting to spend nearly 2 weeks in India): the race costs just $500 which includes 3 nights in hotel, 9 nights in tents during the race, and breakfast & dinner. It’s all part of an effort by the Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation to increase travel and tourism in the region. Airfare to India is probably the biggest expense for most riders but once you’re there you’re all set except for the bike!

The race stages themselves are relatively short (between 23 and 44 miles per day) which gives riders the chance to experience the cultural richness at each stop. Tread ranges from singletrack to jeep tracks to village roads so there’s definitely plenty of opportunity to get some Indian dirt on your knobbies!

I had the opportunity to go to India a few years back and although I didn’t make it to the Himalaya it was definitely a trip of a lifetime. I just hope the air quality is better in the Himalaya than it is in some of the larger cities - might want to bring a dust mask just in case!