We followed a team of young professional cyclists on a 14-day adventure as they raced 1,256 grueling miles through the world’s highest plateau in the rural Qinghai region of Northwest China.

It was an exhilarating experience that included a unique combination of natural beauty and the shear grit required to compete in the world’s most-taxing sport — cycling. We found daily life in China to be drastically different from our lives in the Western world; however, we were able to form strong positive bonds with local people by sharing the love of cycling with one another. As we all race forward in our day-to-day lives, let us all pedal together.