This is an interesting stage, not least because ninety percent of the climbing is in the first half, but also because the route profile and the elevation are alike but separated by ninety degrees: the road heads predominantly south and south east while the elevation profile assumes a lumpy normal distribution curve.
The rollout is downhill to half a mile but then climbs back up to one mile, gaining more elevation than was initially lost: and at the top of that climb, the route moves back into Tov province from Ulaanbaatar province. Then the road drops down again to four miles on a left hand curve, climbs again then descends back down to six miles and the only time on the stage that the elevation is below five thousand feet. At six miles the main climb kicks in.
Although the road and the railway follow the same route south on the stage, they do spend significant amounts of time apart because of the severity of the climb: the road is more direct while the railway takes a longer detour on its way south before the two join up again before the finish.
The route climbs seven hundred feet in the seven miles between miles six and thirteen, twisting left and right as it does so. At over five and a half thousand feet at half way, this is once again a stage with the highest elevation attained so far. There’s a minor down and up between miles thirteen and fourteen, but the respite begins thereafter and it’s a long nine mile descent down to the finish which comes after a right/left combo on an otherwise straight piece of virtual tarmac.
Distance: 24 miles / 38 kilometres
Ascent: 1165 feet / 355 metres
RGT Magic Road: 5OOTwYiIAMtW
Max elevation: 5617 ft
Min elevation: 4928 ft
Total climbing: 1165 ft
Total descent: -1259 ft
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