Tour de Khunjerab: Pakistan hosts world's toughest cycle race

Cyclists around the world took up a world-class challenge as they went past glaciers and snow-capped peaks for hundreds of kilometers. The race was situated at an altitude of 5000 meters above sea level.

The Tour de Khunjerab- a name similar to its world-famous French counterpart began on Saturday. However, the race is still many years away from hitting the ranks of Tour de France. Even so, it still stands as the highest cycling race in the world, which has a lot to offer a certain type of athlete.

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In the last week of June, some 88 cyclists, including two teams from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka as well as solo participants from Spain and Switzerland, took part in its second edition. Less than half of the cyclists completed it within the allotted time frame. There were four stages among which three ranged from 68 to 94 kilometers (42 to 58 miles) plus a shorter time trial, which was much shorter than many other cycling events.

But the unique difference is the Pakistani Tour flags off at 1500 meters above sea level and the route keeps heading upwards. The final day of the race sums up the challenge. The Tour de Khunjerab starts at 2,800 meters which is higher than the Iseran Pass, the summit of Tour de France. The Pakistani race ends at 4,700 meters, which is just over 100 meters short of Mont Blanc, Europe's highest mountain. Talking to the media, Usman Ahmed, the top official for the northern Gilgit region said:

"The Khunjerab Tour must become an attraction for the most daring and adventurous cyclists in the world."

The Gilgit region is home to some of the planet's tallest peaks and the race was held there. The cyclists' tyres swallow up the asphalt of the Karakoram Highway, one of the highest paved roads in the world. Named after the Karakoram mountain range, which just one of the ranges in Gilgit , the road passes through mesmerizing landscapes. Soaring, jagged peaks which contrast with vertiginous ravines, glaciers driving a chill wind, and tumbling aquamarine rivers. Landslides are a common occurrence

"There is no place in the world that offers all these things," Ahmed added.

Pakistan Cycling Federation President Haroon said that they are aiming to make the race, the country's trademark:

"No doubt it is the toughest cycle race in the world. We are aiming to make it our trademark,"

"The most difficult part of the race is the final stage where cyclists face shortage of oxygen and there is risk of heart issues... At such an altitude a person falls down (faints) after running for 200 metres, but our cyclists travelled for almost 59 kilometres," he said.

Five ambulances were on standby in case of emergencies in the final stage, he said, adding: "A majority of the cyclists made it but the support staff needed ambulances."

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The winner of the event, Najeeb Ullah, a Pakistani national from a hilltop village in the southwestern province of Balochistan who won three of the four stages -- told media that breathing was a "problem" for him in the final climb.

"I had to face a lot of difficulties while reaching the finishing line," located at the Khunjerab Pass, the border between Pakistan and China, he said.

Especially since altitude was not the only obstacle: On the final day, fierce winds drove snowflakes into the cyclists' faces, forcing some already struggling to catch their breath to dismount.

"I could barely pedal and was feeling breathless," another cyclist said

Organizers said in some sections the competitors faced a gradient of 20 percent, an angle rarely seen in such competitions in around the world. At each stage organizers wearing construction helmets scrutinized the surrounding mountains, peering closely for any sign of the rockfalls that periodically smash on to the road, a potential peril to the cyclists below. The threat of danger was in stark contrast with the joyful welcome the cyclists received in villages along the route, with residents playing traditional instruments to cheer them on.

"On each mountain, each town, there were welcome signs," said Ramon Antelo, a Spanish diplomat based in Pakistan, who called the race his "best cycling experience" and now hopes to pull together a team to compete next year.

He added: "A race like this is not in any other place. In Europe, Mont Blanc -- you cannot ride it by bike."

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