A mountain bike through the remote mountainous region surrounding Sa Pa District in the northern province of Lao Cai will commence on Friday. The three-day 'Vietnam Mountain Bike Marathon' race promises a truly pioneering ride against a backdrop of the highest peaks in Indochina and Hoang Lien National Park deep in the far north, organizer Topas Travel said in a press release on Wednesday. According to the organizer, racers will be the first to tackle these trails through rice terraces and ethnic minority villages. The route covers large parts of very remote mountains, meaning competitors will have access to landscapes that typically remain out of reach. The first day includes a 50km journey north of Sa Pa to an area populated largely by the Hmong ethnicity, while the second day features a 68km ride to a southern locale inhabited by the Tay and Red Dao people. The race then will conclude with a shorter stage around Sa Pa Town through Black Hmong villages. “We have spent countless hours as a team out in the mountains seeking out great trails for people to race on,” David Lloyd, one of the event’s directors said. “The result is a hard, but extremely beautiful race that was born from our collective passion for Vietnam and riding bikes,” he added. “We are now very excited to welcome international riders and show them what Vietnam has to offer.” Participants from 22 countries have signed up for the race. Among them is a group of Vietnamese sponsored by Cube Vietnam. "Cube is very happy to be supporting a team of Vietnamese riders in this race,” Christina Lin, representative of Cube Vietnam, said in the press release. “We want to not only support young cyclists …
Georgia trail races
Fansipan Mountain Marathon: not simply a race but an awesome travel experience too
The Fansipan Mountain Marathon 2020 marked the tenth edition of the event, which was first held in 2010 to celebrate the 1000th anniversary of Thang Long – Hanoi. The race was jointly held by the Lao Cai Provincial People’s Committee, the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Hoang Lien National Park, Sapa Tourism Association, and Ly A Sang Travel Company, with the sponsorship of Sun World Fansipan Legend Tourist Complex. Running through jungle More than 200 runners from over 20 running and trekking clubs across the country participated in the event, who raced 11.5 kilometres from Bac (Silver) Waterfall to the peak of Fansipan Mountain. The weather was favourable for racers on the running day as the temperature was not too cold and it was only a little bit foggy in the early morning. The fog was quickly swept away and sunlight lit up the green space of the Hoang Lien mountain range, making the trail more scenic and inspiring for runners. Le Lenh Thuc and Ha Thi Hau, two winners of the event Le Lenh Thuc triumphed in the men’s category after clocking a time of 2:06, while Ha Thi Hau, who reached the finish line 10 minutes later, took the lead in the women’s category. Both of them came from the Sapa Tourism Association team. The organising board also presented prizes to 61-year-old Nguyen Khac Xuyen and 19-year-old Nguyen Ngoc Phu, who were recorded as the oldest and the youngest participants in this year’s event, respectively. 61-year-old Nguyen Khac Xuyen (L) was the oldest participant in this year’s event Sharing her feelings about her victory, Ha Thi Hau stressed that everyone who participated in the event is a champion as the Fansipan Mountain Marathon 2020 is a race to conquer oneself. It is true that conquering Fansipan is indeed never an easy challenge. Many runners had to pause their journey due to cramps or slipping down. However, they received timely encouragement and support from their companions and …
Trump, Biden vie for battleground states, still early to call
The Hanoitimes - Donald Trump and Joe Biden each need 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. Two US presidential election runners, sitting President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden, are still waiting for results from battleground states, especially Florida and North Carolina. As of 9.40am (Hanoi time), Joe Biden is leading with 129 electoral votes while Donald Trump has 100, according to Fox News update. Donald Trump and Joe Biden each need 270 electoral votes to win the presidency. Trump has stated he would win the race with 306 votes. It's tight race in Florida, and results coming from Georgia, North Carolina and Ohio thrust the night into a critical stage. “North Carolina may be the most competitive state in American politics,” CNN’s John King said. “Maybe Florida is a close second. But when you look at the demographics of North Carolina, it is perhaps the most competitive state in American politics right now.” Based on the votes counted so far, Biden is leading North Carolina, Ohio, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Texas. Meanwhile, Trump is having advantage in Florida, Michigan, Georgia, and Virginia. It's still early and these numbers could change as more votes are counted. …
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