I think you’ll like this stage. After some of the climbs of previous stages, this one has a lot more descending than ascending, albeit that a lot of it is so gently downhill that it actually feels more like an easy riding flat surface than a descent. Having said that, three of four of the proper climbs are sufficiently testing that you certainly won’t get away with thinking that the whole stage was a skoosh.
The start’s initially uphill before the first of many descents takes you past Toloknovo to the north then Nikulino to the south. The bottom of the first descent at three miles crosses the river Sishka before the second climb takes you to the junction of a dirt road to Zaitsevo just after the crest. That’s followed by the villages of Zminy and Chertolino to the south. All of that comes about before you cross the Moscow to Riga railway line just after seven miles. At that point the road swings left and you are left with a virtual fifteen mile straight run to the finish, most of which is slightly downhill. There are further settlements at Monchalovo to the north, Esinka actually bordering the road itself, and Tolstikovo at eighteen miles.
The lowest elevation of the day comes where the M9 crosses the river Bol’shaya Locha immediately before you pass the Rzhevskiy Memorial. The monument is in honour of the fallen soldiers who defended the city of Rzhev during the Second World War. 17,000 names of soldiers killed in battles are engraved on the memorial.
The M9 passes to the south of Rzhev, passing by the suburbs of Domashino and Zboevo before the finish at Shipulino.
Distance: 23 miles / 37 kilometres
Ascent: 407 feet / 124 metres
RGT Magic Road: vMc4unvFf7zq
Max elevation: 1199 ft
Min elevation: 1040 ft
Total climbing: 408 ft
Total descent: -544 ft
You must log in to post a comment.