This is an interesting stage because you’re riding in Canada, but if you gaze over to your right across the river, you’re looking at the United States: and it stays like that for the first thirteen miles of the stage. Those miles head south following the line of the St Mary’s River which is flowing in the opposite direction of travel. Most of the first half of the stage is flat, but unfortunately, there’s a big lump in the middle where Highway17 (the Trans-Canada Highway) takes a short cut over the hill and the ATW route follows it.
The rollout starts out heading south east with a quick up/down before crossing the Lower Echo River after two miles. The road then swings right then right again past the junction with Highway 638 before eventually settling on a due south course after another up/down at six miles. It’s then flat to eight miles where Bar River Airport sits between the highway and the St Mary’s River on the right hand side of the road.
The highway then climbs to Laird at ten miles and it claims the title of the highest elevation of the stage by some distance, sitting at over seven hundred and fifty feet above sea level after a climb of over a hundred and fifty feet.
Over the top, the highway descends back down to the river where the road turns left opposite Pine Island. Highway 17’s then lumpy for five miles, crossing Anderson Creek at eighteen miles before curving left a mile later at Ripple Rock Preserve. The highway then enters Desbarats at twenty miles where the road crosses the river of the same name on a right hander that sets up the finishing straight on a lumpy run to the line.
Distance: 21 miles / 34 kilometres
Ascent: 541 feet / 165 metres
RGT Magic Road: 5ChUBzGJS1Gj
Max elevation: 766 ft
Min elevation: 571 ft
Total climbing: 542 ft
Total descent: -568 ft
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