Everyone knows that Tour de France is grueling. Yet when it comes to pushing the limits, the Red Bull Trans-Siberian Extreme Race manages to leave even the cycling world’s crown jewel in a cloud of dust. Of course, the name gives you a general idea about the nature of the race. The Red Bull brand also adds some clues. But only cold, hard facts can make one grasp the enormity of the event. 14 stages, one with a length of 1,400 km. A total of 9,238km – or three tours of Tour de France. 79,000 meters of climbing terrain. Seven times zones as well as five climate zones. Cyclists riding along four of the longest rivers in the world and across the length of the Ural mountains.
Unsurprisingly, no participant finished the race last year in the allocated time frame, due to bad weather on the last leg. In 2017, the 20 qualifying men and women cyclists will compete with each other to reach the finishing line first. But here, merely completing the course is a remarkable accomplishment in of itself. This year’s race started on July 18 in Moscow and ended on August 10 in Vladivostok. Photographs© Red Bull.
