Mongolia Bike Challenge
Stage 9: Race to Karakourum
Cory Wallace / 14.08.2011
For the first 75 km we raced across the Mongolian landscape with a lead pack of 11 riders, many of them we hadn’t seen all week, but they were out for some last day heroics. The track was fast as we tore over small hills and across open plains. There were also a lot more gher settlements as we seemed to be heading back into more ‘modern’ civilization.
At the second feed zone the pace started to pick up as we were all gunning for some last glory before our adventure came to an end. Marzio Deho (Olympia Bikes) was setting a strong pace as Craig Richey (NOP Systems- BC Bike Race), Contador from Spain, and myself (Kona) all pushed hard to stay away from a bunch of dangling riders behind us.
Going up the last hill, 5km from the finish, I attacked going over the top with Deho following my wheel. Heading down the back side we raced into a Mongolian town with Craig Richey just a few seconds behind. I eased up the pace to allow Craig back up to us so we could try to use some team tactics to work over the hard Italian. It wasn’t our day though as my lead out for Craig wasn’t quite enough as Deho would come around him with 100 meters to go and take the last stage as well as the overall GC.
It was a tough finish for us Canadians as Marzio Deho was racing hard the last few stages. We give him full credit for taking advantage of my rough luck on Stage 7, as he took over the leader’s jersey and never looked back. At the finish line the Italian had some choice words for us as apparently he wasn’t pleased with our racing tactics over the week, but in the end it is a bike race and not a friendship camp.
Tonight the racers are relaxing in a gher camp just outside of town as we prepare to head back to Ulaanbaatar tomorrow to pack our bikes and head back to our homes around the world. It has been a memorable week to say the least as we experienced a whole new world out here in Mongolia. From the people we met, the landscapes we saw and the way of life we got to witness, this country is something special.
This years race was a great success and it looks like it is building some serious steam as it heads into its 3rd year in 2012!
SleepMonsters
