Laos, 43 degrees of blazing saddles

To say the the on-going Bikingman Laos ultra cycling race has been (and still is) something of an epic would be a huge under statement. Scorching hot 43 degree days, choking dust, super-rough roads, screeching jungles and endless mountains which are so steep that they make interest rates look friendly.

From Luang Prabang to the north, and then through the mountains and jungles to the south, almost 800 km of non-stop racing faced the riders in the inaugural Laos event. To many it’s been an ultra culture shock, and one which will make for great campfire stories in the years to come, non more so than for German ultra record breaker Jonas Deichmann who as I post is walking barefoot up the gravel climbs and coasting down on a broken bike, which he’s been doing for around about a third of the event .

Here are a few images from the race.