Pakistan hosts world’s toughest cycle race. Finish line is that ‘Roof of the World’

Khunjerab: Finishing nearly 5,000 metres above sea level after hundreds of kilometres winding past blackened glaciers and snow-capped peaks: a new Pakistani race presents a world-class challenge for cyclists — climbing towards the “Roof of the World”.
The Tour de Khunjerab — its name a homage to its more famous French counterpart, which began on Saturday — is still many years away from being another Big Loop, but with a solid claim to being the highest cycling race in the world, it has a lot to offer a certain type of athlete.
In the last week of June, some 88 cyclists, including two teams from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka as well as solo participants from Spain and Switzerland, took part in its second edition.
Less than half completed it within the allotted time.
The four stages — three ranging from 68 to 94 kilometres (42 to 58 miles) plus a shorter time trial — are much shorter than many other cycling events.
But there is one fundamental difference: the Pakistani Tour starts at 1,500 metres above sea level, and never stops climbing.