Trip Overview
The one-day race is aptly named the Tour of the Dragon, not only because it is being held in Bhutan, which is also called the Land of the Thunder Dragon but also because of its difficulty. As difficult is it to conquer a dragon in mythical terms, so is it difficult to complete the race! This race of 268 km across the Inner Himalayas of Bhutan is one of the most gruelling races, if not the most, in the world. It takes one across four high mountain passes, traversing the country of Bhutan from the central to the western side of the country spiking up to 3340m and falling to 1200m. The Tour of the Dragon happens to be just 3km longer than the Paris Roubaix which is often called the Hell of the North or A Sunday in Hell – considered the most challenging one day race in the world.Whilst the elevation of the Paris Roubaix do not cross 685m, the Tour of the Dragon starts at 2700m and climbs up to 3340m. In total, during the race, one gains 3790m and descends 3950m. It takes place every first Saturday of September when the rains have created havoc to the roads – just to make it more challenging. The race not only is the most challenging one day event in the world but also one of the most beautiful – taking one by pristine natural surroundings including some of the last virgin forest in the world. Come prepared and you might as well cover your travel expenses from the price money. While we can provide our bikers a good bike, it is recommended that riders bring their own bikes. Only mountain bikes are allowed as per race regulations. This trip should start at least 10 days before the race as riders will have to acclimatise to the altitude and the terrain.