Mongolia Bike Challenge
Stage 5; Yaks and Attacks
Cory Wallace / 12.08.2011
With Marzio Deho (Olympia bikes) following me like a shadow, we made the decision to send Craig Richey (NOP Systems-BC Bike Race) up to the break. We figured Deho would try to chase him as Craig was sitting in 3rd overall, just 8 minutes back from him but Deho seemed content to let Craig ride away, and the rest of the pack was too.
With Craig’s strong legs in the break it became apparent that it would stick, with myself and fellow Canuck Thom Skinner (NOP Systems-BC Bike Race) sitting back in the pack controlling it. Going into the final 20 km of the ride the leaders were down to just Craig and Rohin from Australia but they had over an 8 minute gap.
Still nobody wanted to chase so I tried a few attacks as we crossed some sketchy stream crossings in an effort to shed my shadow in Deho and put more time into him before tomorrow’s “Queen Stage.� Deho responded to each attack, launched one of his own which was shutdown and then we both stopped pedaling as I didn’t want to haul him up to my teammate ahead and all he was concerned about was being on my back wheel.
Until 4 km to the finish line we pedaled like it was a Sunday group ride. With 2 km to go we hit a short 3 minute hill which Deho and I attacked each other repeatedly on with neither of us getting anywhere. We would again roll across the line together. Up to this point in the race there hasn’t been a lot separating the two of us.
The leaders, Rohin and Craig, rolled across the line together with Rohin taking the victory, which means there have now been 5 different winners over the first 5 stages. They both gained 11 minutes on Deho and I (Kona), which moves Craig into 2nd place overall, 2:20 up on Deho and 1:40 back from me. The day couldn’t have worked out a lot better in our quest to defeat Deho as Craig is now a legitimate threat and Deho now has to watch two Canadians.
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