Red Bull Trans-Siberian #extreme, the world’s longest ultra stage bicycle road race, came to a close in Vladivostok this Thursday. Following the Trans-Siberian Railway, the race leaves from the Russian capital Moscow to finish on the Pacific coast – and the ride is so grueling none of the solo riders actually managed to cover the total #racing distance.
The second edition of the #event featured 14 stages ranging from 314 to 1,372 km. The riders stopped in the cities of Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Perm, Ekaterinburg, Tyumen, Omsk, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Chita, Svobodny and Khabarovsk before finishing in Vladivostok on Thursday.
They spent more than three weeks in the saddle as they competed in two categories – solo and duo.
They were six solo riders at the start in Moscow: Alexei Shchebelin (Russia), Andreas Fuchs and Eduard Fuchs (Austria), Pascal Pich (France), Marcelo Florentino Soares (Brazil) and Pwinn Rujikietkhomjron (Thailand). But three of them pulled out of the #competition by the end of the fifth stage for different reasons.
The three remaining cyclists, Shchebelin, Eduard Fuchs and Florentino Soares all withdrew from the 12th stage because of the adverse weather conditions. Unlike last year, when two riders managed to complete the whole race, there was no outright winner this time out. But local hear Shchebelin did finish first in the time sheets.
“I went all out. Today when I saw the Vladivostok sign, I understood that we finally made it but I still can’t believe it”, said the 35-year old Shchebelin.
In the duo category, both teams completed the whole race with Germany’s Martin Temmen and Matthias Fischer outpacing Russian rivals Mikhail Manyakhin and Roman Markaryan.
”I don’t really understand it’s over, I’m still not here. I know it took us three weeks, but I don’t know the time or the date anymore… I’m just tired, tired but happy”, said Fischer.
Last year, 10 international cyclists (four solo riders and three duos) from Russia, Germany, Belgium, Italy and the UK took part in the inaugural race. Belgium’s Kristof Allegaert celebrated victory in the solo classification while Russia’s Mikhail Ignatyev and Ivan Kovalev prevailed in the duo category.
Final standings in the Solo category after 14 stages
1. Alexey Shchebelin
Russia, 336h 18m 5s
2. Eduard Fuchs
Austria, 347h 25m 33s
3. Marcelo Florentino Soares
Brasil, 388h 07m 26s
4. Andreas Fuchs
Austria, DNF
5. Pwinn Rujikietkhomjron
Thailand, DSQ
6. Pascal Pich
France, DSQ
Final standings in the Duo category after 14 stages
1. Martin Temmen/Matthias Fischer
Germany, 294h 57m 01s
2. Mikhail Manyakhin/Roman Markaryan
Russia, 303h 36m 40s
lulop.com
