Nepal鈥檚 annual Yak Attack mountain bike race finished last weekend,聽聽on Monday.聽Despite 60 percent of its competitors dropping out after this spring鈥檚 devastating earthquake,聽which聽left more than聽9,000 dead,聽the nine-day competition聽began on November 7.聽Nepali聽rider Ajay Pandit Dixit won the race for the fifth time, according to .
The eight-stage race聽is the highest on earth,聽. Riders climb almost 40,000 feet聽over the course of 250 miles, from the聽Himalayan foothills to a聽pass through Thorong La, the highest mountain pass in the world. They compete in聽temperatures ranging from the high 80s down to zero聽degrees聽while navigating mud, snow, sand, and rock.
础蝉听Mountain Bike Rider聽reports, Yak Attack organizer Phil Evans聽thought聽it was important to move forward with the race. 鈥淢any were put off by the quake,鈥澛燛vans told AFP, according to聽Mountain Bike Rider.聽鈥淏ut we decided not to cancel the race because it would have sent out a negative message about the country.鈥