TTH Genting Challenge - Update

Well, the Genting Challenge is shaping up nicely! Emma, Carmen and I did a reconnaissance trip of the route on Sunday and I can confirm the hills are "lovely". And there are plenty of them to challenge us all.
Just to give you a heads-up of what is being planned for the ride, the start will be close to Batu Caves and on the slip road to Ulu Yam. There is ample car parking space on the right hand side of the road just after crossing the railway line, next to a 7 Eleven. The plan is to start from there at 0730 sharp on the 1st October.

The route then follows the road to Ulu Yam (27.8km) and then right in the village towards Genting Highlands. The first drink stop is 1.7km beyond Ulu Yam and before the right turn to Genting. There, the riders can pick up water and some gel and take a breather before taking on the next stage of the challenge.

The next water station is a further 17.9km at the Gohtong Jaya roundabout. By the time riders reach this point, the elevation climbed so far is more than 1000m. And the good news is, there is further 1000m of climbing to go! Yeepie!

Once away from Gohtong Jaya, the climb starts to get really serious. The gradient increases to 12-13% in parts which is lovely and steep. This is where the Genting Challenge comes into its own and everyone can start to appreciate why Genting is held in such high regard as a famous climb in world cycling circles. The last tortuous 8.9km of the climb to Genting is as tough or tougher than some of the climbs on the Tour de France.

The finish line will be adjacent to the Resort Hotel immediately on the left where the road levels off at the top. The total distance covered is 56.3km. Arrangements will be made to allow the riders to take a shower and to change in one of the hotel rooms (one for the guys and one of the gals) and once everyone has finished and showered, all support crew and riders will go for a well earned buffet lunch at the hotel. The return to KL will be at around 2pm by means of the support cars. The bikes will be loaded onto the sweeper lorry for the return journey to Batu Caves.

As I mentioned in my earlier notice, there will be a nominal charge to cover the cost for the hotel room, the sweeper lorry, the fuel for the support cars, lunch, etc and I will endeavour to keep the cost to a minimum.

If you are interested or want to be frightened, you can check the profile of the Genting climb on the following link albeit this profile starts from Genting Sempah. Nevertheless, it gives you an idea of what's up ahead on the TTH Genting Challenge. http://www.climbbybike.com/profile.asp?Climbprofile=Genting-Highlands&MountainID=8170

More updates again soon.