..!! FIRST DATE !!..

WHAAAT?? A date, on a Cycling Blog!! You must be kidding,my son would say to me.

Not exactly a date but close enough.I am talking about my first experience as National Team Manager for the Mongolia Cycling Federation(MCF) at the latest UCI Road World Championships in Doha.

To cut the story short....

The morning after my late arrival in Doha,I had an email from MCF General Secretary Naran Zundui delegating me as Team Manager for the Championships...

WOW...

I was like a kid with his new favourite toy.I don't want to sounds monotonous.

City of Great Architecture.

City of Great Architecture.

During the championships I had the pleasure to meet great new people,see friends of the past, attend meetings, visit the commissaires office & much more. We had long,hot & exhausting days but the ambience of the UCI RAOD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS 2016 made it easier.

6 hours late finally room service arrived.

6 hours late finally room service arrived.

The MCF represantation was composed by 5 riders,1 Coach and Me as Team Manager.I had the pleasure to be a DS(Directeur Sportif), Mechanic,Soigneur for the riders while they were training or resting and working alongside their coach.

You can use anything to make a Coffee Bar

You can use anything to make a Coffee Bar

It was a great place to see the SD logo amongst the big cycling brands during the championships, but mostly important enabled me to meet some of our supporters around the globe.We are looking forward to see all of them again soon.

Tegsee before the start of the Junior Race.

Tegsee before the start of the Junior Race.

Under 23 waiting to start a training ride.

Under 23 waiting to start a training ride.

A typical day at the Championships:

  • 0530 Wake up call
  • 0630 Breakfast
  • 0730 Training ride for few hours before the temperature going up
  • 0900 Attend Meetings at UCI Event Hotel
  • 1200 Maybe lunch
  • Shopping for rider's food
  • 1600 Chillax by the pool
  • 1800 Meeting again
  • 2000 Dinner of course
  • 2200 Bed time
Supporting(Shouting Tegsee) out of the car during the Junior ITT race.

Supporting(Shouting Tegsee) out of the car during the Junior ITT race.

Tegsee con la nostra bella amica Australiana TIffany Cromwell

Tegsee con la nostra bella amica Australiana TIffany Cromwell

The Cannibal(EDDY MERCKX) with Tegsee

The Cannibal(EDDY MERCKX) with Tegsee

Belgian Fans walking to the Start Line.Behind one of stadiums for the FIFA WORLD CUP 2022

Belgian Fans walking to the Start Line.Behind one of stadiums for the FIFA WORLD CUP 2022

Instructing Miga before the start of the Elite race, with the rest of the Delegation arrived for the main event.

Instructing Miga before the start of the Elite race, with the rest of the Delegation arrived for the main event.

Desert Feed Zone #1.South Africa 

Desert Feed Zone #1.South Africa 

Live Cam in the middle of the Peloton!!

Live Cam in the middle of the Peloton!!

Team Germany had few DNF's.Doctors checking body temperature.

Team Germany had few DNF's.Doctors checking body temperature.

We are now working  to get the MCF team across for the CycloCross World Championships 2017 in Luxembourg.If you like to support them please get in touch with us.

The Teams watching the last few KM of the race on the TV's

The Teams watching the last few KM of the race on the TV's

Track Mongolia Project.Mongolia Junior National Team

Mongolian Cycling Federation is implementing a new project named as “Track Mongolia” supported by Union of Cycling International and Asian Cycling Confederation. According to the project we have started our Junior National team consists from 10 athletes. 

The initial action of the project was our junior athletes from the National team Mr. Tegshbayar.B and Mr. Iderbold.B, Mr. Dorjdagva.E and Mr. Erkhes.D had successfully studied at Track training at the Korean Satellite – World Cycling Center (KS-WCC) in Seoul, the Republic of Korea in 2015 and 2016. 

Mr B.Iderbold at the KS-WCC Track training. 

Mr B.Iderbold at the KS-WCC Track training. 

Now Mr.Tegshbayar.B is attending at the track training at World Cycling Center in Aigle, Switzerland from April, 2016. During his training he participated at the Track World Championship and became the very first Junior Track World Champion in Mongolian history. 

Mr B.Tegshbayar

Mr B.Tegshbayar

Mongolia Junior National Team Competition's Schedule

Mongolia Junior National Team Competition's Schedule

Team Roster

Team Roster

If you like to support the project or become a sponsor for Mongolian Cycling National Team contact Stefano at stefano@saddledrunk.com for more info.

An affascinating long weekend in Mongolia

Last Wednesday night I flew out from London to Mongolia to be hosted by the Mongolian Cycling Federation to discuss a potential partnership for the future.

I met with Kris,from Kuai Sport Promotion in Beijing to travel together into Ulan Bator.For both of us was the first time travelling to Mongolia and the excitement was fuelling our feeling of joy.

Arrived in UB, Naran Zundui the general secretary picked us up to take us to the hotel & then to visit the beautiful Genghis Khan Square and the museum of the History of Mongolia.

Another Local delicacy.Yak Meat

Another Local delicacy.Yak Meat

Naran, prepared us an intense program for our 3 days visit in UB and the first evening we had the pleasure to meet up for with the President of the Mongolian Olympic Committee,a former Olympic silver medallist to discuss about cycling in Mongolia.

The following day we travelled around to various cycling sites in the capital to then finish off at the office of the Mongolian Cycling Federation situated at the Olympic Centre in UB.

I presented the MCF with the samples kit for the National Cycling Team to discuss the potential relationship of SD to be the Kit Supplier to be worn by the National Team at UCI world championships, UCI races & at the Olympic Games.

SD is pleased to announce that the Mongolian Cycling Team will be wearing SaddleDrunk clothing until the end of 2020.

To celebrate the great news for us, Naran & the president took us to dinner to an amazing  Mongolian Restaurant.

The Mongolian cuisine is a rich diet consisted mainly in Mutton,Yak,Horse & beef products. The landscape is ideal for those animals . Green Grasslands with the freedom to move,free from pollution & clear blue sky, made those Mongolian delicacies on the top 3 on my list out of 56 countries I have visited so far in my life time.

Genghis Khan Square in UB

Genghis Khan Square in UB

On Easter Sunday we were whisked away from UB to the “TERELJ NATIONAL PARK” on a 4x4 vehicle , which made me that we were not going via normal roads but off-road. Infact I was not wrong ,I was just astonished by the sceneries of the landscape , the piece and calm of the surroundings ,the warmth of the people along the villages and the stunning Mongolian Ger Villages.

Some local delicacies

Some local delicacies

My conclusions from this short trip is that I will return to Mongolia to visit more of this beautiful country.I will certainly spend more time in this country which it is 5 times the size of France.

Terelj National Park

Terelj National Park

I would like to say thank you very much to Naran for the great hospitality and for looking after us 24/7. Thank you very also to everyone we met that made us welcomed.

Stefano.