2015 Mongolian Bike Challenge - Day Zero

I have posts about the Czech MTB Trilogy (4 stages, MTB), Nationals XCO (ker splat) and the 7 day fabulous MTB Stage race The Sudety Challenge in Poland - but before all that (lack of time in front of a computer while not working) I'm going to start writing about one of my biggest racing adventures to date.

I'm racing the 2015 Mongolian Bike Challenge - it will be no where as technical as my previous MTB stage races but what they give up in that they take on in rugged isolated beauty and sheer length of stages. Think of the AnPost Ras (UCI 2.2 Irish road race most Irish folk know) - make it longer, add a lot more climbing, put it at (moderate) altitude, sleep in Gurts/Tents in the middle of nowhere and oh, put it all off road - this will be epic! (I say comfortably typing from the last night I'll be in a hotel for a while)

I have an internet SIM card (there is some mobile coverage, no wifi), so I'm going to try to update each day as it goes - please excuse the brevity and possibly incoherent thoughts - hopefully I'll add a few nice pictures and inspire folks to put it on their calendar for 2016.

Thanks to Schwalbe and NoTubes - 2.25 Racing Ralph on fron, Thunder Burt rear

Out on a leg opener ride - ehh, pretty

Climbing up here

View back to the capital Ulaanbaatar

Central Square

Post ride tourism

Post ride recovery - somehow I don't think I'll have frozen yogurt for another week!