In Mexico, a Dangerous Race: 10 Hours in Juarez

Can Mexico's most popular bike race survive in the murder capital of the world? Hammering battle-scarred desert singletrack, our man learns one simple truth: for people living in the crossfire of a vicious war between drug traffickers, the Chupacabras 100km might be their best escape.

Bridge of the Americas, 7:30 a.m.

We slip across the border on a quiet Saturday morning. The air is moist but heavy with dust in the early light. With the sun yet to rise from behind the Sierra de Juarez, the sky is the gray-brown color of the sand below.

Six of us ride from El Paso into Juarez dressed in race kit, our legs wobbly in the morning. We smile timidly and offer a quick greeting to the Mexican federales standing with black assault rifles slung low around their waists. They wave us through. "Buenos dias," is all they say. We turn right, toward the Benito Juarez soccer stadium and the start of the mountain bike race called Chupacabras 100km.

"Nervous?" I ask Yohans Mendoza, 37, riding next to me.

"Yes, of course."

"Mmhmm," I say. I am scared, too.

"I wasn't going to do this again this year," Mendoza says. "Too much risk. But my friends"--he gestures at the others--"they talked me into it."

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