Ruta de los Pistoleros
Steeped in the folklore of the American Wild West, the Ruta de los Pistoleros Gravel Race brings a legendary historical pursuit into the modern era. In the early 20th century, the notorious outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid fled private detectives, meeting their final chapter amidst the dust, biting cold, and towering mountains of the Bolivian high plateau. More than a century after their final 1908 ambush, this epic tale of survival is reinterpreted as a world-class gravel cycling odyssey across the otherworldly Salar de Uyuni.
The competition unfolds over three distinct, narrative-driven stages that mirror the classic western escape:
Stage 1: The Ambush – A highly technical and strategic opening leg that sets the pace.
Stage 2: The Great Escape – An epic, grueling crossing over the endless, blinding white salt desert, where riders battle harsh winds and extreme altitude.
Stage 3: The Last Refuge – The final push bringing cyclists to the foot of the imposing Tunupa Volcano for a dramatic finish-line celebration.
Trading out horses for gravel bikes, athletes from around the globe become the protagonists of a living legend, testing their grit against the elements instead of lawmen. Ruta de los Pistoleros is far more than a race; it is a deep cultural immersion into the Bolivian highlands and a tribute to the lawless, adventurous spirit that links the gunmen of the past with today’s endurance riders. This is where the outlaws finally lost their trail—now, it is where a new generation of cyclists arrives to write their own history.
To find out more, click here.