Ulaanbaatar, the arrival city for all participants, acts like a smokescreen, a place of deception for what Mongolia is to reveal later to her newly arrived guests. The capital city, like a hospital patient who has awoken from a twenty year coma (the Democratic Revolution was in 1990), is rushing recklessly to catch up with the rest of the world. It is a city containing over half of Mongolia’s total population, and it is racing to be at the high table of the Modern World. Coal-fired power stations, built during Russian dominance, stand juxtaposition beside gers, more appropriate to the countryside while large modern summer houses rub shoulders with poverty ridden shacks. Even in September, the veil of pollution suffocates a city built within a valley and choking her residents. Nevertheless, the city appears destined to continue its quest to catch up with the rest of the world, despite the inherent cancer of over-development.

The Mongolian Bike Ride unfolds in the Steppe region of the countryside, covering nearly nine hundred kilometres and 14,000 metres of climbing.

The landscape is the dominant force and the dry, grass plains stretch infinitely in all directions, interrupted only by rugged hills and mountains. Even in the heat of battle, all riders would succumb to the immense nature and mind-blowing vastness of this incredible country.

The people involved in the Mongolian Bike Race, either as a rider, event or support crew were to become part of a large close-knit family. It didn’t matter if you were Cory Wallace (Canada), Nicholas Pettina (Italy), Luis Pasamontes(Spain) fighting for overall honours, a category podium chaser or a rider whose main intention was to merely to survive the seven day ordeal, we all had two main criteria in common. We love riding mountain bikes and we enjoy the adventure of travelling to far-flung places. The camaraderie between riders is perhaps one of the greatest attractions of this type of race. Some of my greatest mountain bike friends have been discovered in these races. Indeed, the bond shared by myself and riders who also competed at the Crocodile Trophy in Queensland, Australia in October 2013 is palpable. These included Cory Wallace, who was the single biggest reason for my participation in Mongolia; Peter Selkrig, a fifty-two year old racing machine, training partner and fellow 24-hour endurance racer in Australia; Kristof Roelandts and Hans Planckaert from Belgium and Jiri Krivanek and Radim Novotny from the Czech Republic. The bond and mutual respect is simply unbreakable.

The race itself is not particularly technical but is physically demanding and the long distances do take a toll on riders. The back-to-back 170 km days are particularly difficult, leaving little time for recovery and preparation for the next day. Racing involves riding in groups and, for many, long periods of time riding solo. But the Mongolian Bike Challenge is not just about riding a bike but about how you prepare for the following day. After crossing the finishing line the event is far from finished. A cool down is preferable but not always possible, recovery drinks need to be consumed and food eaten immediately to make use of the body’s ability to most effectively re-absorb carbohydrates. A shower needs to be taken and bike clothes quickly removed and washed ready for the following days. Then the bike needs to be cleaned and checked for any mechanical problems. A select few were lucky enough to have been able to pay for full bike maintenance and massage every day. After the presentation ceremony and a healthy and substantial dinner it would be hoped a good night’s sleep would follow, be it in touristic gers, cabins or, more usually, in eight man tents but this meant night time was invariably accompanied by a chorus of snoring and coughing.

The race was certainly very tough and I had my fair share of obstacles to overcome. I almost didn’t enter Mongolia, a last minute trip to collect my British passport allowing me to enter the country without a visa. The day before the first stage, I was thirty seconds into a training ride with Hans Planckaert, and while looking up at the statue of Chinggis Khan’s mother, and travelling downhill on a smooth trail, a gaping hole suddenly appeared, too late for me to react to. As my front forks fully compressed, I was launched over the handlebars landing heavily on my right shoulder, breaking the bottle cage from my saddle. I was cut and severely bruised and regular painkillers were necessary for the duration of the race. Indeed, I was unable to lift the handlebars nor was I able to drop off rock steps without stabbing pain. A more technical race would have certainly led to my withdrawal. Furthermore, the freezing starts on the first two days led to breathing difficulties and I struggled with my asthma. I resorted to ventolin in the later stages, but choking dust meant I was riddled with a hacking cough for the duration of the race. During the last two stages, saddle rash meant excrutiating pain on sitting. I also needed to adapt to carrying just a single drink bottle, with my extra bottle cages ejecting my second bottle every time I descended along rougher ground. This meant drinking a whole bottle of water at drink stations in an attempt to stay hydrated. I managed to finish 6th in my age category and 24th overall, while my three-man Croc Team eventually finished third, after leading for the first two stages.

Mongolia is an incredibly difficult place to organize an event of this nature and racing incorporates a strong sense of adventure. Mongolian Bike Challenge Founder and Race Director, Willy Mulonia, has gathered together an excellent team, consisting of logistics, photographic personnel, drivers, medical staff, mechanics and masseuses. It is fair to say, that not everything ran perfectly but, considering the scope of the event and the difficulties of racing in the Mongolian landscape, the race was a phenomenal success. The mechanics, headed by the multi-talented Jordi, worked tirelessly, the medical staff stayed calm and professional despite having to deal with major problems such as broken bones, punctured lungs and heat exhaustion. Videos, photographs and race reports made it out every night on the website, although most of the competitors were unaware of this happening. Several riders did take wrong turns but would eventually find the right road, while daily postings of the results were sorely missed. The food, on the whole, was excellent, with Rosewood’s catering on two of the days particularly popular. On a couple of occasions, the food was sparse and so the recommendation, pre-race, to take a selection of snack items was thoroughly welcomed. There was little or no phone and internet access, but this is understandable, considering the extremely remote location. The start and finish locations at the Chinggis Khan monument and the 13th century Camp were excellent, as was the superb entertainment before the first day and particularly during the final celebration. The shamen fire dance, the amazing contortionist and the traditional music and singing will stay long in the memory.

Nic took a different route to the one he had first travelled on but, he believed it would lead straight back to the city. Time evaporated quickly and the daylight hours began to fade. Darkness fell, and Nic was still no closer to the city. It was now dark and too dangerous to ride and so he was forced to push his bike up a hill to a nearby forest. At this point he knew he would not make it back to Ulaanbaatar and panic must have set in. It was becoming extremely cold and he had no extra clothing and certainly not the emergency blanket all riders needed to carry in the race. Fortunately, he spotted a fire burning ahead and, on investigation, he happened to come across four local Mongolians, who welcomed him and allowed him to sit by the fire. They covered him in a plastic sheet and fed him pine nuts. Despite the fire, he was still cold and with wolves howling in the surrounding forest he was unable to get any sleep. But he was still alive. The next morning he bid farewell to his life-saving hosts, who didn’t seem to understand his urgent desire to leave so he could join the other riders in Ulaanbaatar, who were now preparing to leave the hotel. Nevertheless, Nic was eventually pointed in the general direction of the city and he rode off with fresh hope. The city was soon in sight and he now knew he would soon be back at the hotel. At that moment, a Mongolian soldier stopped him at gunpoint. He had ridden straight into an army base. No matter how much Nic pleaded, the lack of communication meant that he was being treated as a suspected terrorist. The police were called out, and he was driven to Ulaanbaatar Police Station where he was able to call for assistance from the race organisers and was finally released on production of his passport. The final part of this story is perhaps even more amazing. Without sleep or food that night, he was able to not only compete in the first stage, but was to beat a strong field and win the opening day of this incredibly difficult bike race. In the end, Cory Wallace was to win overall honours but Nic was to finish a mere two and a half minutes behind.

Before any race of this magnitude, it is critical to prepare thoroughly. Bikes have to be fully serviced and readied, equipment and appropriate clothing organised and essential spares bought. Race websites need to be scrutinised and handbooks printed off and pored through. Every race is different and Mongolia is particularly unique. For the first time in my race experience, it is a requirement to take a survival kit consisting of aluminium survival blanket, torch / light, whistle and a mirror for signalling, utilising the power of the sun. Bear Grills eat your heart out. The thing is, he probably would!

Only a couple of hours before my departure by airport bus, I was nervously waiting at The Bike Mechanic, in Balgowlah with owner, Jordon, finishing a race service on my Giant Anthem (I had chosen this bike because it is more rigid and slightly lighter than the Turner Czar and therefore more suitable for the longer distances to be ridden in Mongolia. Jordon kindly boxed the bike and I was ready to fly – or so I thought.

When it comes to reading the aforementioned race handbook, I have frequently been found wanting. One year, at the 100 km Capital Punishment race, I followed a group of bike laden cars to the race start only to realise, five kilometres in, that I was actually in the wrong race and must have turned up to the 50 km, not the 100 km start line.

Today, I was worried about the baggage restrictions which vary greatly between airlines. Last month, travelling to the Sudety stage race in Poland, Emirates Airlines allowed for 30 kilos and had let me fly with 35. Air China, however, only allow 23 kilos and it is impossible to buy excess baggage before flying. I was expecting to pay US $150 and with 35 kilos I braced myself for the hefty charge. Little did I know that was to be the least of my worries.

I was casually chatting to a colleague from work, who just so happened to get on the same airport bus, when the bus ground to an alarming halt. I looked round to see we had turned into gridlock in the centre of Sydney at peak hour. With a nervous and embarrassed tone, the driver announced he had taken a wrong turn (damn right Columbo) and asked if we knew the quickest route back to the airport road. I had two hours before my flight departed and I visualised running through the airport gate as the plane started to taxi for take off. I gulped, anticipating disaster. We hastily directed the driver back to the airport road and, possibly quite miraculously, the traffic dissipated and we were soon moving quickly again. Disaster was averted – for now.

I had booked online, and confidently strode up to the check-in desk. As I handed over my printed boarding pass and Australian passport, the assistant shook his head. Was it the weight of my bag? I hadn’t even put my bike on the scales. ‘Where are you going?’ he asked. He had my boarding pass so why was he asking? ‘Uluumbaator, Mongolia’ I replied slightly perplexed. ‘Where’s your visa?’ ‘What visa, you don’t need one…do you? ‘Can I have your ticket please.’ I quickly replied I had my British Passport. He took both passports and my ticket and disappeared. Minutes later he re-emerged and told me that an Australian Passport needs a visa. But, fortunately, I could fly out with my Australian passport and enter China and Mongolia with the British one!

The fact that I had my British passport was another stroke of luck. An attempted delivery had been made to my home address just days before but, without a signature, it had been returned to DHL, the courier. I arranged, on the internet, for it to be delivered to my work address but it never materialised. Later that day, I phoned DHL and was told that passports could only be delivered to the original address for security purposes. I could either stay in all morning between 8 and 12 or I could pick it up from the airport depot. Unable to take the morning off work, the only option was to make the time-consuming journey to the airport. I nearly didn’t go. I had travelled to Poland, the Czech Republic and England on an Australian passport so why not Mongolia? But, in the end, I did go.

Perhaps I have a Guardian Angel. At times, I have incredible luck. More than my fair share perhaps. For the second time in a month, my stage racing endeavours had been saved in the eleventh hour. In Poland, my saviour was a German called Andreas who I had first met at the Crocodile Trophy and who had kindly organised for a replacement brake be brought 10 hours from the German city of Freiberg. This time it was the newly attained British passport I so nearly didn’t collect.

And a final point. Amongst all the drama over the visa, my bags and bike, so clearly over the weight limit, were passed through without an extra charge being levied. But I insist, please don’t try this one for yourselves…

 

A bewildering number of Mountain Bike Stage Races exist across six continents. Some claim to be the toughest, others the most scenic, while a few boast of being the greatest. Participants often compete for several consecutive days, experiencing incredibly varied and beautiful terrain, riding across mountains and valleys, through deserts and forests and besides lakes, rivers and beaches. The pleasure of travelling to new countries and becoming acquainted with new cultures is guaranteed to please no matter which event is chosen. Nevertheless, one race which appears to stand alone, in so many extraordinary ways, is the Mongolian Bike Challenge and it ought to be at the top of any competitive mountain biker’s bucket list.

Fortunately, the Mongolian Bike Challenge takes place in September, when average temperatures range from -5 degrees at night to 22 degrees during the day with 12 hours of daylight and a high possibility of light rain, although thunderstorms, moderate rain and even moderate snowfalls (usually in late September) may be experienced.

Undoubtedly, the most striking factor is sure to be the contrast between Ulaanbaatar, the arrival point for visiting bike riders, and the countryside, where the race will take place. Ulaanbaatar is an enormous city of traffic gridlock, thriving business and sinful nightlife and is one of the drabbest cities on the planet. And yet it is the capital city of one of the most beautiful and hospitable countries on earth.

Beyond the chaos of the capital, the remoteness of the people has meant Mongolians follow simple nomadic lifestyles, where living conditions are rustic and unsophisticated. The home is still the Ger (or Yurt), a fur-lined tent which can be disassembled in less than an hour and transported by two camels (or more often a truck nowadays). The internal layout is always the same, with the door facing south to avoid the northerly winds and to catch the most sunlight. Men should enter to the left (west) to be protected by the great sky god, Tengger, women to the right (east) under the protection of the sun. Guests should move towards the back, and a little to the west which represents the place of honour. The back of the ger (the khoimor) is also where the elders and the most treasured possessions can be found while in the centre there is a small table and chairs. Family members are forced to interact, share everything and work together resulting in tighter relationships between relatives. Nomads are likely to move 2-4 times a year but where grass is thin this may increase.

Mongolia is a naturalist’s dream and is the last bastion of unspoiled land in Asia. Numerous species, only found in Mongolia and Central Asia, are able to survive and flourish in spite of the harsh climate, widespread hunting, which is still a major part of nomadic life, limited protection from a penniless government and the communist persecution of Buddhists who had attempted to set aside areas as animal sanctuaries. Indeed, each year the government sells licenses to hunt 300 ibex and 40 argali sheep (both endangered species), in order to raise over US$500,000. Overgrazing from sheep and goats further exacerbates the problem.

The Mongolian Bike Challenge is a race like no other. Located in a country where time appears to have stood still, in a land which remains as pristine as it was a thousand years ago and inhabited by unique animals found nowhere else in the world. The people continue to live like our distant ancestors lived, in simple dwellings without most of the trappings of our modern everyday lives.  A country where nature is king, in the form of the vast plains and majestic mountains and the climate is constantly changing and imposing its will on her people. Those who choose to take up the Mongolian Bike Challenge are sure to leave with an imprint of a distant and remote world forever etched upon their psyche.

Genghis Khan (Chinggis Khan) was the founder of the the Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous land empire in history, covering 22% of the Earth's total land area and six times the size of the Roman Empire. At its peak, the Mongol Empire stretched from the Adriatic Sea and the gates of Vienna in the West, to Korea and the Sea of Japan in the East, with 700 tribes and cities under Mongol rule.

Known in Europe and vanquished Asian territories as a blood-thirsty tyrant and the leader of the most savage conquering armies in history, but acknowledged as a hero in Mongolia, a champion of democracy, religious tolerance and equal rights for women. By unifying warring factions, peace and security was brought to 8000 kilometres of trade routes known as the  'Silk Road', laying the trade foundation for the modern world. During the time of Genghis Khan, Chinese inventions, such as printing, paper, gunpowder and the compass spread throughout the vast Empire and beyond.

Temujin, later to become Genghis Khan (which translates to Universal Ruler), was the son of the Chief of the Yakka Mongols. He was born clutching a blood clot, a sign interpreted by a shamen, that he was destined to become a great warrior. Temujin's childhood was harsh and he was only 10 years old when his father was poisoned by a rival Mongol Tribe. Soon after, Genghis murdered his older half brother with a bow and arrow. He became Chief of his father's clan only for his own tribe to abandon him and leave him to live alone, digging roots for food and keeping sheep. He married Borte in 1179, but his camp was invaded and he was forced to abandon his wife, only managing to rescue her eight months later. Within three years, he had built an army and formed alliances to rival surrounding Mongol Tribes. He built a superior army with strict discipline and training with the prospect of rich rewards for their loyalty. Shrewd and ruthless, he soon became the undisputed ruler of Mongolia.

Europeans mistakenly believed that their knights were the ultimate warriors in the world at that time. Despite being small in number (around 700,000) and illiterate, the Mongols were hardy men, herdsmen who had grown up riding horses and hunting on the Mongolian steppes, the grassy plains north of the Gobi Desert and south of the Siberian forests. Genghis Khan united them into a fearsome and deadly force. They rode small but powerful horses and wore lightweight protection, allowing them to fight with great speed and manoeuvrability, shooting arrows en masse into the air with incredibly powerful composite bows (twice as powerful as European bows and exceptionally accurate), while being sufficiently mobile to turn in all directions on their horses. During the invasions of Northern China, Central Asia and the Middle East, the Mongols also became highly skilled in siege techniques, which was to ensure them success in several future conflicts.

Genghis turned his attention to China, which was ruled by three great empires. He quickly defeated the state of Xi Xia, before crossing the Gobi Desert, breaking through the Great Wall of China and laying siege to Beijing, the capital of the Qin dynasty. The city was demolished and its ruler, Guchluk, beheaded.

In 1218, Genghis turned west toward central Asia and Europe. His armies rampaged through Muslim lands, spreading terror and destruction. Resistance meant whole city populations would be slaughtered. Moving north into the steppes of Russia, Genghis defeated the southern Russian armies and set a precedence for future Mongol campaigns.

In 1219, to avenge the beheading of one of his own messengers, Genghis captured Inalchuq, the provisional Governor in Persia, and executed him by pouring molten silver into his ears and eyes. In 1221, Genghis Khan reputedly killed 1.7 million people in one hour following the killing of his favourite son-in-law. On request of his daughter, he massacred the entire population of the Persian city, Nishupur, and a pyramid of their severed heads was erected in honour of his victory. 

In 1227, after quelling a Chinese uprising, Genghis, the ruler of a nation of riders, fell from his horse while riding home and died, aged around sixty five. The most successful military commander the world has ever known was dead. According to legend, Genghis Khan's last words were that he had failed to achieve his destiny - to conquer the entire world - and his dying wish was for his sons to achieve this feat. In the following years, his sons doubled the size of the Mongol Empire, conquering many new lands, including Russia, Poland and Hungary.

Legend attests to the fact that the burial site of Genghis Khan was to remain a mystery so his rest would not be disturbed, ensuring a peaceful afterlife. The slaves who dug his grave and the 2,000 people who attended his funeral were killed by 800 soldiers, who were, in turn, executed themselves. Thousands of horses trampled the burial site and it is believed a river may have been diverted to flow over the site. One legend tells of the grave being discovered 30 years after Genghis Khan's death and a young camel killed and buried beside the Khan. The grieving mother would return regularly to the grave of its young until its own death when the grave was to be lost forever.

According to a 2003 study, 1.6 million people (or 0.5% of males worldwide) are descendants of Genghis Khan, due to his far-flung travels, several wives and insatiable appetite for women. Although Borte was his only official wife, he followed tradition by taking several morganatic wives and a plethora of concubines. In 1260, thirty-three years after his death, there were around 20,000 blood members of his family.

Mistakenly believed to be Genghis Khan's birthplace, the 40 metre tall statue, where the GENCO Mongolia Bike Challenge begins, is actually the site where legend suggests he found a golden whip (a lucky omen in Mongolia), inspiring the fifteen year old Temujin to conquer much of the known world. Located fifty-four kilometres east of the capital UlaanBaator and pointing east towards Genghis's birthplace, the statue complex cost the GENCO Tour Bureau $US 4 million.

Known as the greatest Mongol Emperor, Kublai Khan was the grandson of Genghis Khan and the fifth Great Khan of the Mongol Empire. After Genghis's death, his descendants carried out invasions in all directions but feuded over Royal succession. This led to civil war and four separate empires were eventually created. Kublai Khan completed the conquest of China in 1279, after defeating the third great empire, the Song dynasty in the south. He created the winter capital in Cambaluc (on the site of present-day Beijing). Finally, with all of China in Mongol hands, the Empire had reached its peak. Kublai founded the Yuan Dynasty in China and became the overlord of all the Mongol dominions. In an attempt to extend the empire, wars against Japan and Burma proved fruitless, as the Mongol soldiers fought unsuccessfully at sea and in the tropical climates of South East Asia.

Kublai Khan (known as Setsen Khan or 'Wise Khan') was a strong and fearless warrior but also intelligent and a great statesman, and exercised greater tolerance than his predecessors and even permitted the existence of several religions. One of Kublai's advisers told him "I have heard that one can conquer the empire on horseback, but one cannot govern it on horseback" and, unlike his contemporaries, Kublai actually acted upon this belief. He was a beloved leader to both the Mongols and the Chinese and he became the longest-ruling Khan of the Mongol Empire. Kublai met Marco Polo in the 1270's and the Italian explorer described him as the model of a universal sovereign with humanity and genorosity of spirit. Marco Polo even encouraged Europeans to explore the possibilities of trade with the Orient, including Christopher Columbus, whose search for the Orient by sea route resulted in him mistakenly discovering the Americas in 1492. Kublai reestablished unity within China and helped spread the advances of its brilliant and progressive civilisation.

In the 14th Century, with no unity in culture, corrupt government and incompetent administration, the great Mongol Empire would fall apart after less than 150 years in existence and by the 17th Century, much of the Mongol Empire had disappeared. In 1911, China became independent and regarded Mongolia as theirs. The southern section, inner Mongolia, was an integral part of China, while the northern section, outer Mongolia (roughly corresponding to the modern nation) remained out of Chinese control. A communist republic was established in 1924, aligned with the USSR.

Mongolia was isolated from non-communist countries, the nobility wiped out, religion suppressed and Mongolian culture denied expression.

In 1990, the first elections were held and communism was rejected. Mongolia is currently enjoying a mining boom in copper, gold and coal. Indeed, since 2003, GDP has doubled and tourism is on the rise.

The Mongolian Bike Challenge is a unique racing experience that will transport riders back to a time when life was much harsher and far more brutal. Mongolia is a sparsely populated country, where a third of the population is under fifteen and modern life expectancy is just 64.9 years. Due, in part, to its isolation in Communist times, many aspects of Mongolia's 500,000 year old culture still remain and its nomadic tribes enjoy a lifestyle reminiscent of days long since gone. During the adventure, mountain bikers will find it almost impossible to escape the feeling of being transported back to a way of life long lost in the mists of time. Constant reminders of Mongolia's rich, sometimes savage, but always fascinating history abound in an ancient landscape, dotted with Gers (Yurts), or felt-lined tents, nomadic families and their herds, a thirteenth Century National Park reminiscent of the time of Genghis Khan and, of course, the Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue, representing the legend behind one of the most incredible Empires to have ever existed.