Tour du Monde

They wind their way through the landscape like a snake. Men in colourful clothing, testing themselves to the limit. Followed by cars that leave an amazed and equally enthusiastic public in a cloud of dust. The sweat streams from their bodies. Splashes of blood on the asphalt after a fall. Joy following a heroic victory. Cycle races lasting several days are not peculiar to countries like France and Italy. They are also held in many non- Western countries, all over the world. The big difference is the setting: a landscape devastated by war, baking deserts, the vibrant streets of Cuba. The goal of all cyclists is to win the Tour in Paris one day. After all, the Avenue des Champs Élysées is heaven.

The participants in other cycling tours will do anything to race there. It would be an escape from every-day life and, for some of them, a way to a better future. See Paris and then die. Only a few make it. But the longing remains. Not only is the Tour de France known all around the world, but it is imitated all over the world too.

Chris de Bode travelled with cycle tours through China, Colombia, Cuba, Eritrea, Qatar and Senegal, turning his camera not on the finish, the frontrunners or the pack, but primarily on the spectators along the side of the road.

Buy the book. Tour du Monde: Colombia, Cuba, Senegal, Eritrea, Qatar, China. (Schilt Publishing B.V., 2009)

Colombia, Sopo

Competitor in the Vuelta de Colombia passing a soldier and a tank guarding the route of the Tour. The 53rd Vuelta a Colombia took place against a backdrop of civil war and violence. The bicycle race is guarded along its entire route by heavily armed Colombian soldiers as it crosses provinces controlled variously by the Revolutionary Army of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Paramilitaries (AUC). The constant military presence failed to prevent the kidnapping of one competitor who was lucky to escape a few days later. As if that wasn't challenging enough the cyclists face climbs which are steeper and higher than any on the Tour de France. Last year's Tour slogan came tinged with irony - 'Viva Colombia - travel through your country' - a dangerous undertaking for any citizen in a country where the levels of kidnapping and extra judicial killing are the highest in the world.

Colombia, Sincelejo

Cyclist praying in church before the start of a stage in the Vuelta a Colombia. The 53rd Vuelta a Colombia took place against a backdrop of civil war and violence. The bicycle race is guarded along its entire route by heavily armed Colombian soldiers as it crosses provinces controlled variously by the Revolutionary Army of Colombia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the Paramilitaries (AUC). The constant military presence failed to prevent the kidnapping of one competitor who was lucky to escape a few days later. As if that wasn't challenging enough the cyclists face climbs which are steeper and higher than any on the Tour de France. Last year's Tour slogan came tinged with irony - 'Viva Colombia - travel through your country' - a dangerous undertaking for any citizen in a country where the levels of kidnapping and extra judicial killing are the highest in the world.

Cuba, Sancti Spiritus

Cyclists on the 7th stage of the Vuelta a Cuba (the Tour of Cuba cycling race) pass a 1950s American car on their way towards Sancti Spiritus.

Cuba, Matanzas

Cyclist Pedro Pablo Perez, a competitor in the Vuelta de Cuba (the Tour of Cuba cycling race), cools his bruised bottom after that morning's time trial.

Senegal, Sindia

The Tour du Senegal cycle race. Dutch rider Marco Duys pumping up a tyre in Sindia on the 8th stage.

Senegal

The Tour du Senegal cycle race. Spectators under a huge baobab tree near Popenguine on the 5th stage.

Eritrea

The Tour of Eritrea cycle race. Dust covers the road to Dekmhare.

Eritrea

The Tour of Eritrea cycle race. Boys in their school uniforms cheer as the race passes by.

Qatar

Traditional Qatari feast at the end of a stage for participants in the the Tour de Qatar. The international cycling circus, invited by the ultra-rich oil state of Qatar, pays its first visit to the Middle East. The riders were the subject of bemused glances from locals as they rode through the desert, where a bicycle is a rare site. The Qatari government is attempting to build up its sporting reputation in the lead up to hosting the Asian Games of 2006.

Qatar

Barbershop scene as riders in the Tour de Qatar ride past. The international cycling circus, invited by the ultra-rich oil state of Qatar, pays its first visit to the Middle East. The riders were the subject of bemused glances from locals as they rode through the desert, where a bicycle is a rare site. The Qatari government is attempting to build up its sporting reputation in the lead up to hosting the Asian Games of 2006.

Qatar

Horseman racing the peloton in the Tour de Qatar. The international cycling circus, invited by the ultra-rich oil state of Qatar, pays its first visit to the Middle East. The riders were the subject of bemused glances from locals as they rode through the desert, where a bicycle is a rare site. The Qatari government is attempting to build up its sporting reputation in the lead up to hosting the Asian Games of 2006.

China, Hainan Province

Riders limber-up in preparation for the first annual Tour of Hainan Island Cycling Race - a six day race offering 100,000 USD prize money.

China, Hainan Province

Crowd of spectators stand to watch the first annual Tour of Hainan Island Cycling Race - a six day race offering 100,000 USD prize money.