A myth that crossed borders
Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid were two of the most famous outlaws of the American Wild West. Pursued by the law and private detectives, they fled to South America in the early 20th century. Their final destination, according to Bolivian oral tradition, was marked by dust, cold, and the mountains of the high plateau.
Bolivia, the scene of the last ambush
In 1908, both gunmen arrived in the Uyuni region. It is said that they participated in the assault on a mining stagecoach and that their trail was lost in a small nearby town. Some accounts say they died in a shootout in San Vicente, while others claim they managed to escape once again. The truth is that Bolivia is forever linked to the legend of their last escape.
From gunpowder to gravel
More than a century later, that story of pursuit and survival is reinterpreted in a unique setting: the Salar de Uyuni. Instead of horses, cyclists ride on gravel bikes; instead of pursuers, they are met with endless kilometers of salt, wind, and altitude. The “Route of the Gunmen” takes the myth and transforms it into an unprecedented sports and cultural experience.
An escape turned race
The race consists of three stages that reproduce the western narrative:
- The Ambush: a technical and strategic start.
- The Great Escape: the epic crossing over the white desert.
- The Last Refuge: the arrival at the foot of the Tunupa volcano, with the awards ceremony in front of an imposing landscape.
Each pedal stroke is a chapter of a story where cyclists become the protagonists of a living legend.
The legend continues
“The Route of the Gunmen” is not just a competition. It is a journey to the past, an immersion in the culture of the highlands, and a celebration of the adventurous spirit that united gunmen and cyclists in the same territory: the border between myth and reality.
“This is where they lost their trail… now it will be where cyclists from all over the world write their own legend.”