Author: Liam Winston
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A return to the countryside
It had been a full 12 months since first visiting the lush surrounding of Qingliangfeng That coupled with the risk of being roped into a ‘Moganshan and back’ one dayer, were enough incentive to make a return trip to Anhui. Although there was some relief in avoiding a 450km ride, a leisurely weekend was unlikely…
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Did you hear the one about the Englishman, Scotsman and Irishman seeking four maidens?
Not a bad joke, but a long hatched plan that recently saw the light of day. Tales of oxygen deprived passes, pandas and even kebabs had prompted much research into what lies west of Chengdu. Due to the Dragon Boat Festival, what had originally been planned as a 2 day trip, now morphed into a…
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Four courageous cyclists, three countries calling, two sets of chamois and one expectant cock
Whilst not quite the 12 days of Christmas, there was certainly a festive flavour. Chinese New Year. Offices shut for more than a week. Damn cold weather to escape from. Elevation to seek. All away from Shanghai. That formed the main basis of the plan. Yunnan the ideal starting point, allowing a progressive warm up,…
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Xscape to Qingliangfeng
Anything involving Mr Jencks always has potential for adventure, whether it’s a further exploration of the Canals, or working out a Puxi Pudong combo ride. So when the late option came up to head out to Qingliangfeng (清凉峰) to check out some new routes, it was a hard invitation to turn down. Joining the recce…
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Tianmenshan; close but no cigar
Tianmenshan had long been a draw card, on a bucket list of cycling destinations in China. A mythical destination, only enhanced by it’s appearance in such articles as Red Bull’s Eight of the Most Dangerous Roads in the World (http://www.redbull.com/us/en/adventure/stories/1331715077524/most-dangerous-roads) It’s profile and elevation gain, draws similarity with Alpe d’Huez and with 99 corners, it…
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Joe Conquers the Dragon
Was lucky enough to be able to join the last of the 2015 Classics races; Jiulongshan (九条山), a multi loop hill race that had previously featured as part of an ITT, earlier in the season. The fact that there was also a CX race included in the programme, the next day, did have me questioning…