This is one of those classic lumpy stages with virtually no flat: and because the finish is 400ft higher than the start, you just know you’re in for a tough time. It kicks off heading east, hangs a couple of right hand curves at three miles and eight miles, then takes on a long looping left hander that stretches out over sixteen miles: although there are long sections of road that look straight, wee curves make the whole thing into a long bend.
The rollout is uphill for five miles, taking in a forested section and a railway crossing. Soon after the railway, the road dips down to meet the M53 heading south from Yurga and shortly after than, it cross the Istitim river as the highway runs alongside another forest. The lumpiness of the stage is a result of several water crossings one after the other: as a result, you’re climbing and descending every couple of miles for about twelve miles in total.
Stepping back to the junction with the M53, there are two junctions off to Yurga, at three miles and at eight miles. At the first of those, the road crosses the border from Novosibirsk Oblast into Kemerovo Oblast: different republics of the Russian Federation.
The final water crossing, near to Poperechnoye at nineteen miles, is the start of the five mile climb to the finish. The road rises around three hundred and fifty feet with precious little respite. If you’re thinking of going for an attack on the stage, this is perhaps the opportune place to do it. Halfway up the climb, the road enters the forest, from which it re-emerges a short distance before the line on a gentle right hand bend.
Distance: 23 miles / 37 kilometres
Ascent: 791 feet / 241 metres
RGT Magic Road: Ziyt4XND2uLJ
Max elevation: 1004 ft
Min elevation: 601 ft
Total climbing: 789 ft
Total descent: -376 ft
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