11 October, the Alatau Racing course near Almaty. Cross-country in the XCO format: a 4 km loop on dirt roads and trails with both natural and man-made technical features. The winner is the rider who completes 6 laps first; the moment they finish, the lap in progress becomes the final lap for everyone else.

The course is about 60 per cent ready and already comfortable to ride. You can come and pre-ride it now -- in the photo the organizers are clearing and mowing what is left.

We are timing this one with our own system -- the same one that runs our own races -- so the results will appear on the event page.

Schedule, conditions and the organizers' contacts are on the event page.