MIGUEL HERAS HOLDS THE LEAD IN THE EVEREST RAIL RACE BY THE ELEMENTS
The Nepalese SummanKulung wins the second stage and closes the gap in the overall. Jordi Gamito keeps the third position.
The second stage is very complicated with two ascents to peaks over 4,000 metres high and the start from Chyangsyngma at 9 degrees below zero. First a classic of the Everest Trail Race by The Elements, the 4,041m Pike Peak and then the 4,090m Langate Peak. But a landslide in the access area to the summit of Langate Peak forced the race direction to cut the section for the safety of the runners. In total the participants have completed in the second stage 30km where each step through the mountain slopes and dizzying descents to add more than 5,400 meters of accumulated altitude difference between Chyangsyngma and Ringmo. It is undoubtedly one of the most physically demanding days of the Everest Trail Race by The Elements, just like the fifth stage that will arrive next Monday. At the summit of Pike Peak where SummanKulung has arrived first, a medical team is in charge of controlling any unwanted situation. The descent to Jase Bangjang on technical terrain through primary forest is absoluteamazing.
The victory at the finish line was won by the Nepalese runner SummanKulung. Miguel Heras took second place just 28 seconds behind in a day where the two riders had a memorable duel. Jordi Gamito (Traça) was further behind, 26 minutes behind in third place. The Catalan rider is not yet adapting well to the altitude, but he is still on the podium in third place. Miguel Heras (The Elements) leads the race with 1 minute and 16 seconds of margin with Kulung, second classified. In the women's category, the leader changed after the victory of Phurwa Sherpa. The Nepalese runner leads the general classification after overtaking María Silvina Pérez by a margin of more than 10 minutes. The Argentinean rider is in second place and Ester Alves (SWE) is still third overall, more than 48 minutes behind.
The next stage has the longest and steepest negative gradient of this edition with 2,800 metres downhill. The quadriceps will remember the third day.