The first ever Trans Nepal, a 5 day mountain bike stage race which links Nepals capital city, Kathmandu and the lakeside tourist enclave of Pokhara via an ancient trade route, got under way on the 27th December under blue skies, from the tourist district of Thamel.
The race, that follows the early stages of its much more famous counterpart, Yak Attack, covers approx 250km of predominantly dry and dusty 4wd jeep track and takes in over 5000m of ascent.
The format of the race – short race stages linked together by slower paced group rides, allowed time for the international riders to enjoy the amazing scenery along the way and to spend time exchanging race talk and tactics with their Nepali counterparts.
That’s not to say that the racing was easy or relaxed however. Among the 10 race stages were a 7km climb and a 13km descent, with conditions so demanding and the race so hotly contested that 2 Nepali riders crashed out on day 2 and 3 and had to retire due to injuries.
As well as being only the second international mountain bike race to be staged in Nepal, Trans Nepal also acted as the qualifying race for the local riders for the 2013 NorthFace Yak Attack, with the top 5 local riders gaining automatic entry into the high altitude 11 day stage race at the beginning of March. The Nepali boys didn’t have it all their own way though, with Rohin Adams of Australia a regular top 3 stage finisher and a number of other international riders showing that they were no push over, especially on the downhill sections.
After a hard days riding / racing, evenings were spent in either simple but idyllic guest houses or camping with the entertainment centred around a campfire.
The race finished in Pokhara on 31 December, and after the prize giving ceremony the majority of the riders chilled out and saw the New year in to a mixture of western and Hindi music at the hotel disco!!
Incredibly, after 10 stages of racing over 5 days , less than 10 minutes separated the top 3 riders, with recent MTB Himachal champion, Narayan Gopal Maharajan (Nepal) finishing first in 3:44:13, Rohin Adams (Australia) second in 3:49:37, and current Nepal National mtb champion, Ajay Pandit Chhetri third in 3:53:53.
The 2013 Trans Nepal, which will take place between December 27 and 31 2013 is now open for entries with numbers limited to 30 international riders. More details can be found on www.extremeworldchallenges.com.