Watch: Wild Horses

Directed by Gianmarco Dodesini Valsecchi
Kyrgyzstan 2018

One of the most challenging endurance bike events on the planet, the Silk Road Mountain Race in Kyrgyzstan pits riders against each other, ever-changing elements and individual physical limits as they attempt to ride unsupported along part of the ancient trade route from which the race derives its name. Known for its rugged and remote beauty, the mountains of this Central Asian country can be unpredictable, and at times, unforgiving, with quick shifts in weather and long distances between opportunities to resupply.

Filmed during the first Silk Road edition in 2018, Wild Horses follows the pioneering riders who answered the call of the Kyrgyz wilderness, only a third of which will ultimately complete the course, crossing some 1,700 high-elevation kilometers from the grand depart in Bishkek to the finish line in the Chong-Kemin National Park. Ride along below.