The 3 Day Mountain Bike Race That Crosses Conflict-Torn Borders
Men's Health UK|January - February 2017

Every year hundreds of cyclists traverse the conflict-torn borders of the Jewish holy land in a gruelling, three-day, 260km mountain-bike race known as Epic Israel. MH travelled to the ancient hills of Galilee to witness a contest of biblical proportions

Tom Ward
The 3 Day Mountain Bike Race That Crosses Conflict-Torn Borders

IT IS NOT YET 7AM when the sun crests over the dry, rocky mountains of the Bar’am national park in Israel’s northern Galilee region. As the bleached cattle bones littering the dirt trails testify, the area is home to wolves, hyenas and wild boars. This morning, however, it is empty but for a cloud of brown dust on the horizon.

As that cloud moves across the undulating terrain it appears to gather pace and volume, swelling and ballooning like a sand storm. Moments later, the first set of cyclists emerge from the soup, heads bowed and shoulders braced, their faces already streaked with sweat. Their collective posture is a profound picture of studied determination.

Ten metres further along the trail, the riders hit the first of the day’s rest stops. Bananas and isotonic drinks are snatched; empty water bottles are crushed under tyres. Some cyclists drench their faces, spilling water down their chins. And then, as the next wave streams in behind them, the first group push off once again. Twenty-three kilometres in, they still have another 75km to go, with more than 100km waiting for them tomorrow, and a further 60km the day after that. With temperatures set to soar into the mid-30s and numerous mountain- and woodland climbs ahead, it is only a matter of time before the race becomes a torturous slog in the baking midday heat.

This story is from the January - February 2017 edition of Men's Health UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the January - February 2017 edition of Men's Health UK.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM MEN'S HEALTH UKView All
Every Question You Ever Had About Really Eating Well
Men's Health UK

Every Question You Ever Had About Really Eating Well

Nutrition is a maddening business. Foods are in one day, compost the next; vitamins that cured ills last week are promptly debunked. We all want to eat better, but who has the time to sift fact from fad? Rest easy because this is your easily digestible, bite-sized guide to doing precisely that

time-read
10+ mins  |
June 2019
The False Prophets Of Wellness
Men's Health UK

The False Prophets Of Wellness

Muscle, fat loss, wisdom… Whatever you seek, there is now an entrepreneurial guru armed with hashtags who claims to have the answer. But is it gospel?

time-read
2 mins  |
June 2019
The Brexit Diet
Men's Health UK

The Brexit Diet

Whether you voted Leave or Remain, the EU has transformed the way we eat – and crashing out threatens to deal a mighty blow to both our palates and our nutritional health. MH spoke to the experts worried that the true impact of Brexit will leave a very bad taste in our mouths.

time-read
8 mins  |
April 2019
Stamina? It's As Easy As Pie
Men's Health UK

Stamina? It's As Easy As Pie

Don’t flake on post-workout pastry. Pie and mash is your new performance enhancer

time-read
1 min  |
July 2018
The Trip Treatment
Men's Health UK

The Trip Treatment

Once the poison of the counterculture, psychedelic drugs are gaining credibility as a powerful, viable mental health tool that could transform the way we understand ourselves. Are you ready to turn on, tune in and dose up?

time-read
10+ mins  |
July 2018
Men's Health UK

The Gastropub​ Nutrition Plan

New research suggests you don’t need to cut back on flavour either to satisfy your cravings or to cook off kilos. Better pass that piccalilli

time-read
2 mins  |
April 2018
Your Detox Doner Card
Men's Health UK

Your Detox Doner Card

 The vilified sat fat in your kebab is actually the antidote to offset booze’s impact on your liver. How convenient

time-read
1 min  |
April 2018
Reach For The Stars
Men's Health UK

Reach For The Stars

He has crossed the Atlantic, from Peckham to Hollywood, carrying multiple blockbusters on his newly broad shoulders. But while John Boyega’s star is in the ascendant, his feet remain firmly on the ground – thanks to a few fundamental life lessons learned along the way. Take note and look up.

time-read
10 mins  |
April 2018
One Word Answer #43
Men's Health UK

One Word Answer #43

As tedious as they might have seemed at the time, most of the lessons our parents taught us as kids were worthy of adherence. Sit up straight at the table; look people in the eye when you thank them; try not to spit at strangers – even as an adult, these are values to live by.

time-read
1 min  |
April 2018
Men's Health UK

Son Of A Gun

For most men, joining the family business is the easier option. Not so for Scott Eastwood, a man whose father might just be the most iconic Hollywood hard man ever. But while he is, in many ways, a chip off the old block, the firebrand’s son has his own life well figured out

time-read
10+ mins  |
May 2017