As cycling tours through Thailand become increasingly popular, many enthusiastic cyclists return to discover new routes and new challenges.

The Cyclemania Racing Team first discovered the beauty of Thailand while participating in the "Great Mekong Bike Race" in Nakhon Phanom and were so captivated by the country that they recently returned to compete in a race in Chiang Rai. Here is their report of their experiences.

After discovering Thailand at the Great Mekong Bike Race in May of this year, we couldn't wait to return. So when Jack Thompson from JackCyclesFar told us there was another opportunity for the team to participate in a race in Chiang Rai, we jumped at the chance. We were incredibly excited to be returning to this wonderful country: Thailand.

We flew directly from Perth to Bangkok with Thai Airways – an excellent flight with outstanding service from the crew. From Bangkok, we flew to Chiang Rai with Bangkok Airlines. We highly recommend both airlines. The service was first-class.

We were met at Chiang Rai airport by Haidar and Patiphat "Golf," who acted as our hosts and guides throughout our stay. Both were very friendly and always helpful, making us feel completely at ease.

Our team consisted of four drivers from Perth and two from Malaysia: Daniel Griffiths, Jayden Waters, Xavier Cooper, Bryce Lanigan, and the two Malaysian drivers Jian Li Lee and Tsen Ren Bao. We stayed at the Pimann Inn. The accommodation was comfortable and the staff very friendly.

On the first day of our trip, the team, accompanied by Haidar, took a drive to explore Singha Park and some other sights in Chiang Rai. In the afternoon, we were taken to the main shopping mall, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch at the market and admired the local culture.

In the evening, we were driven to the street market, where we had dinner and enjoyed an excellent meal. Afterwards, we strolled through the market, admired the sights, and chatted with the local vendors.

The following day featured the first stage, a 6 km time trial around Singha Park. This park is fantastic and offers numerous attractions and activities. Our team achieved excellent results: Daniel finished 6th and Jayden 8th.

The following day, stage 2 started in Chiang Rai, covering 135 km. The race was fast and fiercely contested, with an early breakaway group that stayed at the front until the finish. Another great result for our team: Dan finished 11th in the breakaway. Jayden was also in a late breakaway from the peloton and finished 14th. Other team members finished as follows: Ren (32nd), Xavier (40th), Lee (45th), and Bryce (54th).

The third stage started in Chiang Rai and was 125 km long. The last 5 km were entirely uphill, with gradients of nine percent and two climbs with a 19 percent gradient. The team gave it their all and reached the bottom of the climb in the leading group. The stage placings were: Xavier 11th, Jayden 13th, Daniel 21st, Ren 25th, Lee 30th, and Bryce 60th. This placed Daniel 10th and Jayden 13th in the overall standings.

In the evening, the team took a trip to Chiang Rai Walking Street, which was truly impressive – enormous and with so many great items on offer. The food stalls at the market were fantastic and offered an incredible variety of food. We highly recommend this to anyone visiting Chiang Rai.

The final stage of the tour was a circuit race in the heart of Chiang Rai. It was a fast-paced and intense race with an average speed of 47 km/h. Jayden won a points sprint, Dan finished second, and Bryce third in the final sprint. This resulted in excellent overall standings for the team: Dan 10th, Jayden 13th, Xavier 17th, Bryce 31st, Ren 36th, and Lee 38th.

After the last day of racing, we were lucky enough to visit some magnificent temples in Chiang Rai. It was fantastic to see them, and they taught us a little about the history of Thailand.

On our last morning, we drove to the foot of a steep climb. It was an amazing experience: 1200 meters of elevation gain over the 15 kilometers to the summit. The view was breathtaking, and we eventually rode into the low-hanging clouds to get a coffee. The descent on the other side was just as beautiful.

In summary, Chiang Rai is a beautiful city where you can wonderfully experience Thai culture. The people are very friendly and helpful. Our hosts and our lovely driver were extremely accommodating and did everything to make our trip unforgettable.

The Cyclemania Cycling Team would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Chiang Rai, our local hosts, and JackCyclesFar for a fantastic experience. We are already looking forward to returning next year.