VietNamNet Bridge – Participants from 22 countries competed in the first-ever three-day Viet Nam Mountain Bike Marathon in the remote, northern mountainous region of Sapa in Lao Cai Province.

Reinventing the wheel: Riders can see parts of Sa Pa that normally remain well out of reach.

With a backdrop of the highest peaks in Indochina and the Hoang Lien National Park deep, the bike race organised by Topas Travel offered truly pioneering riding. Racers were the first ever to take on these trails through rice terraces and ethnic minority villages.

Photo finish: A female cyclist on the way to the finish line.     Scenic route: Riders pedal through rice terraced fields.     Shouldering and smiling: A rider has to carry his bike on his shoulder when crossing a stream.   Rough and tumble: Riders must conquer small up and down pathways in Sa Pa.     Posse: Cylists are ready for the Việt Nam Mountain Bike Marathon.

VNS

Viet Tuan/VMBM