There are now just seventeen stages left in Canada, and indeed on the North American leg of the Around The World journey. Stage 721 tracks south on the western side of New Brunswick between the St John River on the left (east) and the US border on the right (west). Despite being in the vicinity of water for much of the stage, it’s less lumpy than of late and the total ascent is only half of what it was in the previous two stages.
The rollout rises gently on an increasing gradient to the highest point on the stage at three miles near to Pines Lake between the Highway 2 and the US border. The road then descends equally gently to six miles where the ATW route leaves Highway 2 and picks up Route 130, but still heading south. The first couple of miles on R130 climb gently ahead of a steep descent to cross both Route 2 and the Aroostook River in the town of the same name. From having Route 2 on its left, Route 130 now has it on its right as both roads and the St John River head further south.
Tobique is across the St John River at fifteen miles where the Tobique River flows into the St John from the north east, having been sourced near to Loon Lake. From Tobique, the road follows the natural curvature of the river, bending left then right into Perth-Andover at seventeen miles after a relatively flat calm couple of miles. As the road deviates slightly west of the river between miles eighteen and twenty, it rises before dropping back down again for the flat run in to the finish. The finishing line itself is at the foot of a steep ridge on the right that sandwiches both the Highway of Heroes (Route 2) and Highway 130 into a narrow strip of land next to the St John River.
Distance: 23 miles / 37 kilometres
Ascent: 604 feet / 184 metres
RGT Magic Road: gh83we34ZdCD
Max elevation: 789 ft
Min elevation: 296 ft
Total climbing: 598 ft
Total descent: -927 ft
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