Mongolia Bike Challenge
Good Fortune and A Good Result on Day 1
Cory Wallace (Kona/The North Face) / 01.08.2012
Stage 1: 119km. Ulaanbaatar-Mongolian Outback
The 3rd edition of the Mongolia Bike Challenge kicked off in grand fashion as the 60+ riders rolled out of Mongolia's capital city Ulaanbaatar under police escort. It was a show to watch as impatient Mongol drivers drove in the ditch and weaved in and out of on-coming traffic in attempts to pass our rolling bicycle show.
At one point a young lady started to swerve her Ford Escalade into our pack as she was running out of room in her bid to pass us. One of the local Mongol riders in the race represented our safety as he banged on her hood and directed some selected Mongol vocabulary her way.
Nearing the end of the 25 km neutral roll out we came over a pass with a large rock monument with a stake sticking out of it. These repositories/offerings are called Ovoos and start as small mounds of rocks, which gradually grow as passing Mongols will place another rock on the pile, circle it 3 times and then pray for good fortunes.
They are all over the landscape, usually on mountain passes and they have a large wooden stake in the centre with cloth blowing in the wind. As we passed by this one 3 of the local Mongol racers rode over to the monument and circled it for good fortunes before returning to the race. This was probably a pro move for anyone going into an 11 day off-road stage race across one of the most desolate countries around.
As the real race started, mother nature opened up her black clouds and drenched everything in sight. Shivering and soaked to the bone is not the ideal way to start a 1200 km race but you got to roll with the hand you are dealt. Off the gun, Kris Sneddon and Barry Wicks from Team Kona set the tone for the week as they hammered down the waterlogged mud fest of a track we would follow for the next 90+ km. It was hanus. Mud was flying everywhere, dogs were running around cheering us on with viscous barks, and our bikes were sliding everywhere. After 20 km a lead group of 8 formed, which would eventually dwindle down to 4 of us as we went over the first KOM (King of the Mountains) bonus.
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