You probably noticed a number of bikes in and around Drumheller over the weekend.
This Saturday morning was the Gran Fondo Badlands. The event had over 1,500 cyclists involved in a number of riding distances that took them from Drumheller to Homestead Coulee and back. President of Trans Rockies, who puts on the event, Aaron McConnell loves bringing this event back to the badlands. “It is such an amazing community for cycling and so supportive of this event. It is just a beautiful place to riding a bike.”
A map of the four different routes cyclists could choose from, depending on their distance selected.
There were four distances that cyclists could sign up for, 50 kms, 75 kms, 100 kms, and 163 kms (100 miles). Cyclists traveled along a number of area highways from Drumheller to the Bleriot Ferry, to Wayne, to Dorothy, to Homestead Coulee, and back to the Badlands Community Facility.
McConnell loves that his group is able to bring that many people to the Drumheller Valley for this event, which keeps growing and growing. “It’s amazing being one of the biggest cycling events in Alberta now and creating a very inclusive atmosphere for riders of all abilities to go out and enjoy cycling here.”
When they held the event here last July, temperatures were in that 30 degree range. This year, it was quite a bit cooler and some light rain. McConnell shares that no matter the conditions, the race is a go. “We go rain or shine. We definitely hope for some sun but it also kind of nice not to have the heat that we’ve had the last few years.”
With the great success of the event in 2025, McConnell shares that plans are already in the works to bring the Gran Fondo Badlands back for July 2026. If you participated and are looking for your results, visit www.zone4.ca for all the times. To register for next year and to see all of the events that Trans Rockies organizes all over Western Canada and Western U.S. visit the Trans Rockies Race Series website.
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