Axel Brenner and Adrien Liechti take 2nd and 3rd Place in the 2021 SRMR

Axel Brenner from Switzerland (pictured below) was the second rider to reach the final checkpoint on the 1,800-kilometer Silk Road Mountain Race in Kyrgyzstan. Axel finished in 9 days, 2 hours, and 51 minutes (09d:02h:51m). “I’m just glad it’s over” was about all Axel had to say at the finish line, according to SRMR officials.

As it happens, the third rider to round out the men’s podium was also Swiss. Adrien Liechti (above, left) finished third, completing the course in 9 days, 5 hours, and 25 minutes (9D:5H:25M). Adrien had Shermer’s neck—a condition where the neck muscles fail from fatigue—for the past three days, wrapping a jacket around his neck and taping it to help with support. Adrien came in battered but happy to be done, according to SRMR media.

There are still plenty of riders on course to follow. Canadian Jenny Tough leads the women’s category and is well past checkpoint three. She’s currently near kilometer marker 1,560 taking a rest in Djong-Ailish before setting out to climb the magnificent Kegety Pass. Slovenian Bernarda Juric is also making a steady progress and is currently at kilometer 1290, just before the beautiful ascent to Dzhaldykolot Pass.

The pairs race isn’t over either. Latvians Janis Viskers and Toms Alsbergs are in the lead, currently at kilometer 1,750 and climbing the final pass. They should finish tomorrow. Jay Petervary and Jacob Hora made it over Kegety Pass into Kegety town at kilometer 1,662.

We’re planning several updates during this year’s Silk Road Mountain Race so stay tuned. Check out the event Tracker page to follow along on the live tracking map and watch for updates. Find it here.

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