Nearly 100 brightly dressed riders set out at the weekend on the first stage of the sixth annual Tour of Eritrea, the cycling-mad east African nation's top sporting event.
The nine-day competition, which kicked off in the capital Asmara, is known as much for athletic prowess as oppressive heat and unique obstacles along the course -- like rock-throwing baboons and malingering camels.
Professionals and amateurs, Eritreans and foreigners are competing in this year's tour as they have in the five previous ones, all reminders of the Italian colonial influence of the last century when the sport took hold here.
When the first race took place in 1946, Eritreans were not allowed to ride but cycling's popularity soared and it is now common to see groups peddling the roads in gear not unlike that worn by stars in the Tour de France.
Every weekend, close to 1,000 riders participate in races around the country and Eritrea's sole television channel broadcasts the Tour de France live every summer as it does the Tour of Eritrea to satisfy local interest.
"Many people follow these two tours on TV at home and in bars," said Aklilu Lijam, the president of the Eritrean Cycling Federation, which organizes the Tour of Eritrea.
There are about 100 professional Eritrean cyclists who belong to teams, some state-sponsored, who enjoy special privileges, allowances, housing and local popularity akin to that of Western sports stars, movie idols and singers.
"It was my dream to be a cyclist," said Matiwos Zeray, a 25-year-old professional rider who has competed in every tour since 2001. "People recognize me in the street."
Matiwos lives in a house in the capital with other members of his team and earns 1,200 nakfa (US$80) a month in a country where the average per capita income is US$130 a year.
Still, life is relatively spartan, with a training schedule that includes morning rides of 100km.
"I sleep every afternoon, go to bed at 9pm," Matiwos said. "I don't drink alcohol and I have no time for a girlfriend. My ambition is to participate in the Tour de France."
The Tour of Eritrea is a long way from its French cousin: this year's prize money is 150,000 nakfa to be shared among the top finishers.
It is not nearly as well-known as cycling's most famous event, but it may be as grueling, covering 1,100km through breathtaking hills and parched desert with some distinctly non-French features.
"Asmara to Barentu is a hard stage, you go across a desert under high temperatures," Matiwos said. "Sometimes camels cross the roads or baboons throw rocks at the cyclists."
David Asbridge, a 32-year-old Briton who teaches at Asmara University and was the only non-Eritrean to ride in the 2004 tour, agrees.
"The tour was agony, but I'm really glad I did it. I survived, even though on one stage I got seven punctures," he said, adding that the enthusiasm of spectators is unmatched.
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