Mongolia Bike Challenge
Lost, and on the Way to China!
Special Report by Cory Wallace / 05.08.2011
For the first 60 km the pace was really fast thanks to a decently hard track and a nice tailwind pushing us along. The lead group stayed around 9 riders until just after the second feed station where there was a ‘King of the Mountains’ award on top of a small climb at 90 km. Marzio Deho (Olympia) attacked hard up the climb in an effort to shell the rest of us and claim the 30 second time bonus at the top. His attack was successful with myself (Kona) coming over the top in second to claim a 20 second bonus and fellow Canuck, Craig Richey (NOP Systems-BC Bike Race) claiming 3rd, and an 8 second bonus.
With just 30 km to the finish Deho had a small gap and was pinning it in an effort to get back the 4 minutes between him and my hot pink leader’s jersey. After yesterday’s mistake in underestimating his strength I made sure to close the gap quickly on the descent and was soon back on his wheel as we cruised through a tight rocky canyon. At one point I looked back and saw a mountain sheep with a huge set of horns overlooking us from a high cliff above the canyon walls. I figured it was a statue for sure, but after seeing camels, wild horses and crazy Mongolian settlements in the middle of nowhere earlier on in the stage I convinced myself that what I saw was probably real. Everything else out here has been real, and it has been hurting my head to grasp that this is reality as my Canadian mind is more used to hockey rinks, and beavers; not yaks, sand dunes, ghers and Mongolians running around with their camels all over the place.
At the finish line I was told the sheep I saw in the canyon was in fact a statue. This was almost a relief as I was really beginning to think I was losing my head.
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