Now reporting on the 12th day of racing, the finish line is becoming busier with each passing day. Riders arrive from what we hope has been the adventure of a lifetime through the mountains of Kyrgyzstan. On the final loop, riders skirt around Karakol, passing just by the finish before being sent once more into the wilds. The route follows the Karkara river along the Kazakh border and out into the striking Eshkilitash valley before returning at last to Karakol via Chon pass (3860m).It’s a huge mountain to climb, though the gradient is kind, and if they glance back over their shoulders, they’ll see a wall of jagged, snow-capped peaks etched against the sky. It’s here that we meet many of our riders, cresting the final pass before the descent toward Karakol.We also hear from our women's podium of Leanne Bentley, Sami Sauri and Meaghan Hackinen. Riders featured in this episode: Jono Elliott — Cap 99Ciaran Lundy — Cap 305ACarlotta Schumacher — Cap 31Felipe Duque — Cap 70Stephen Hurdley — Cap 183Niels Ihrman — Cap 143Leanne Bentley — Cap 116Sami Sauri — Cap 174Meaghan Hackinen — Cap 132Click here to Dotwatch the raceFollow us on Instagram for daily visual updatesProduction and hosting by Mel WebbSound design by Ben CrannellMusic by BatyrkanCover image by Stephen SheleskyThanks to our race partners Albion, Pertex, Tailfin, Styrkr and Julbo. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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