On the 10th day of racing, the route winds through a crossroads at kilometers 1191, 1347, and 1497 — a place where riders pass three times, each at a different moment in their race. Here, tracks converge and brief encounters are exchanged: a word of encouragement, a story from the road, before paths diverge again. To one side lies the easier descent to Tamga and an early end to their race; to the other, the remote 200-kilometer loop, rough and demanding, yet essential for those pressing on all the way to Karakol.

To begin and end the loop, riders traverse Arabel Plateau and over Suyek Pass at 4,020 meters. Suyek means “bone” in Kyrgyz — a name tied to the tragedy of 1916, when thousands lost their lives fleeing across these mountains. The pass leads riders into the wide, open expanse of the Upper Naryn Valley, one of race director Nelson Trees’ favourite landscapes in Kyrgyzstan.

Riders featured in this episode: 

• Kayla Hall — Cap 110
• Rob Waller — Cap 162
• Konrad Kowara — Cap 112
• Nol Van Loon — Cap 146
• Dennis Stegeman — Cap 55
• Danielle Coffman — Cap 122
• Marcus Baguley — Cap 124
• Sandor Boros — Cap 175
• Ethan Washam — Cap 64
• Caroline Prigent — Cap 32
• Matteo Garbellini — Cap 128
• Alessandra Bussolli — Cap 6
• Murray Crichton — Cap 139
• Daniel and Stefan — Caps 307A & 307B
• Annie Dunlap — Cap 16
• Tobias Callister — Cap 196
• Natalie Anderson — Cap 319A

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Production and hosting by Mel Webb

Sound design by Ben Crannell

Music by Batyrkan

Cover image by Stephen Shelesky

Thanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo. 

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