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🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan /Sports

Kyrgyz cyclists win 2026 Silk Road Mountain Race

From 24.kg · () Russian

Translated from Russian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News From a news agency Outcome reported
  • Kyrgyz ultra cyclists Vlad Podofedov and Sergey Cherepanov won the 2026 Silk Road Mountain Race, completing the 2,052 km route in 10 days, 12 hours, and 14 minutes.
  • This marks the first victory for Kyrgyzstanis in the prestigious and challenging bikepacking event, which has been held in Kyrgyzstan since 2018.
  • The self-supported race requires riders to manage navigation, repairs, food, and sleep continuously over high-altitude roads and trails in the Tien Shan mountains.

Kyrgyz ultra cyclists Vlad Podofedov and Sergey Cherepanov have claimed victory in the 2026 Silk Road Mountain Race, crossing the finish line in 10 days, 12 hours, and 14 minutes. This historic win is the first for Kyrgyzstanis in the highly regarded bikepacking competition.

Organizers highlighted the athletes' familiarity with the demanding course. Vlad Podofedov has participated in every edition since its inception, consistently improving his performance. Sergey Cherepanov also showed significant progress from his previous finish.

The Silk Road Mountain Race, considered one of the world's most prestigious and challenging bikepacking events, tested participants over 2,052 kilometers with over 35,000 meters of elevation gain. The route traversed remote regions of Kyrgyzstan, including high-altitude roads and trails in the Tien Shan mountains, from Talas to Cholpon-Ata.

This year's eighth edition was the most demanding yet. The race operates in a strict self-supported format, meaning riders are solely responsible for navigation, bike maintenance, sustenance, and rest, with the clock running continuously. This format solidifies the SRMR's reputation as a premier endurance challenge in ultra-distance cycling, attracting around 300 cyclists from 45 countries.

Both athletes know this race very well. Vlad has finished all five editions he entered and improved his result almost every year: 11th place in 2022, 10th in 2023, 7th in 2024 and 6th in 2025. Sergey finished 14th last year, and this time they joined forces to become the first pair to reach the finish line.

— OrganizersDescribing the winners' history with the race.
About this summary

Originally published by 24.kg in Russian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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