This stage actually has less climbing than any of the previous nine stages: but it doesn’t stop you getting lumbered with a big one just after the yellow kite. This is one of those stages that looks okay on paper but never really offers you any rest. With virtually no flat sections, you’re either burning your legs going uphill, or burning them downhill trying to stay on a wheel.
The rollout from Beloyarskiy is uphill for a mile before it dives downhill to cross the Bobrovka river at two miles. The inevitable climb away from the water takes you into the forest and up towards Gagarskiy which you pass at the crest of the hill at four miles. The road dips again briefly before the next climb takes you up to Meridian at six miles. After you’ve dropped down to cross the railway, the next climb takes you to the highest elevation of the day at Otrada: that’s at seven and a half miles.
There then follows a long seven mile descent in which you lose almost three hundred feet of elevation, punctuated by a few flatter sections and brief lumpy bits. The low point is at Mezenskoye at fourteen miles where the E22 crosses the Nelyubra river: it’s the lowest elevation of the day by a distance, and merely serves to kick off the biggest climb of the day over the next three miles. That tops out just after the left combo that drops you onto the finishing straight some six miles from the finish itself. For the first half of the straight, the E22, or the P351 as it’s also known locally, runs alongside the forest on its southern/right hand flank: then it dives into the forest for a couple of miles before re-emerging with the forest now skirting the northern/left hand side of the road. The fun part though is that those last six miles are gently downhill apart from a wee blip at nineteen miles: indeed the gradient actually increases the nearer you get to the line.
The days of the thousand footers are now behind you, at least for another forty stages or so: enjoy the respite while you can.
Distance: 24 miles / 38 kilometres
Ascent: 630 feet / 192 metres
RGT Magic Road: LH5ugOD0zLmn
Max elevation: 1471 ft
Min elevation: 1188 ft
Total climbing: 629 ft
Total descent: -769 ft
You must log in to post a comment.