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    Tour of the Dragon

    རི་བོ་ཇིཀྲུ་ཌེཀ
    iconevent

    Tour of the Dragon is the pinnacle ultra-marathon for those who love mountain bike racing — especially when those mountains are the inner Himalayas, in the last Buddhist kingdom on earth. Bhutan's one-day, 268km (166 mile) race to the finish is a test of will that makes it one of the world's most challenging one-day cycling events. If not the most. Between the start in Bumthang's Chamkar town at an elevation of 2,610m (8,560ft) and the finish line in capital city Thimphu lies a dragon with four mountain passes to surmount — including Yotongla at 3,434m (11,266ft), and, many kilometers on, lung-searing Pelela at 3,430m (11,253ft). That's 3,790m (12,430ft) of ascents, 3950m (12,960ft) of descents. When you're biking mountains, it doesn't get bigger or badder than this. So arduous is the course that about half of all starters cannot complete the race. You can also opt to participate in Dragon's Fury, a 60km (37 mile) sister event run on the same day along the final portion of the same course. Bhutan Olympic Committe (BOC) sponsors both events to promote sports and healthy lifestyles in Bhutan. His Royal Highness, Prince Jigyel Ugyen Wangchuck, President of BOC, conceived Tour of the Dragon and completed it in a remarkable 15 hours on the inaugural run in 2010. Asked what it takes...

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