Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
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Last night, Joe Nation from New Zealand became the first person to finish the 2024 Silk Road Mountain Race, rolling into the final checkpoint in Cholpon Ata and completing the 1,939-kilometer course. Find a short recap from the organizers alongside a gallery of photos taken by event photographer Lloyd Wright here…
Photos by Lloyd Wright
A round of applause goes out to 34-year-old Joe Nation, who was the first rider to cross the finish line of the 2024 Silk Road Mountain Race (SRMR) last night. Joe completed the 1,939-kilometer route in 6 days, 18 hours, and 10 minutes, navigating the challenging terrain of the mountains of Kyrgyzstan while also overcoming a barrage of unusually tough adversities, including extreme temperature swings, lots of rain and thunderstorms early in the race, hail, and all the rugged terrain that comes part and parcel with the course.
Words from the organizers
From the start of the race, Joe maintained a position where he could contest for the overall win, never far from the very front. He aimed to look after himself and his bike and stay within shooting distance when the time came.
It was on the way into Kochkor that he made his move, overtaking Tom Schwemberger on the tarmac of Dolon Pass. He increased the pace and was able to break clear of Tom going over Shamshi. One final push over Kok Ayrik pass and he was able to cruise into Cholpon Ata for first place.
This was a race that was very close, for a very long time. For days, the lead exchanged hands, with the gap between the top riders minimal and the pace extremely high. In the end, however, only one rider was able to keep up this pace to the finish line. Joe rode most of the last 24 hours out front in the lead, not having the motivation of someone to chase ahead of him. What an incredible ride. Chapeau, Joe.
Joe was followed by Tom Schwemberger, who took second place with a time of 7 days, 2 hours, 32 minutes. Rufus Wenlock took third place, and Ron Roosmalen came in fourth. Hannah Simon is currently in first place for the women’s race, and is just over 200 kilometers from finishing.
Check out the 2024 Silk Road Mountain Race Tracker page for updates and to follow along on the live tracking map, and stay tuned in for more event coverage. Find it here.Please keep the conversation civil, constructive, and inclusive, or your comment will be removed.
