What a fantastic display of nerves and determination this past weekend in Banff as the 3rd annual Banff National Park Bike Fest got under way. Banff & Lake Louise were filled with over 400 cyclists competing in five challenging road races over four days as well as two family-friendly events held on Saturday. The road races included the Surprise Corner Prologue, 1A Sprint, Individual Time Trials, Criterium, and Tunnel Mountain Road Race, proving to be one of the most challenging and spectacular cycling events held in Alberta this summer.   

Saturday was the highlight of the weekend, as the Criterium got underway around Banff Ave shortly after the family-friendly races, and what a sight! The fast action race was full of excitement for both the competitors and spectators as racers completed multiple laps of the short one kilometer loop through the streets of downtown Banff. The racers had to compete in a 1 km loop starting on Banff Ave - hairpin turn at Elk Street - Wolf Street - Bear Street - Caribou Street - Banff Ave, taking the racers just over a minute to complete the loop.  They were going so fast that as the racers passed by you could feel the air rushing past your face. 

Visit our friends at Banff Lake Louise Tourism for Banff Bike Fest race results - Congrats on a fantastic event!