For the past two weeks, more than 90 rally racers from 35 countries drove 5,965 miles (or 9,600 kilometers) in 14 legs from Moscow, Russia, through Kazakhstan, ending in Xi'an, China. The ninth edition of the Silk Way rally race, which wrapped up on July 22, was covered by the AFP photographer Franck Fife, from the air and the ground. Below are a handful of images from the competition, and the varying landscapes that challenged the racers.
Scenes From the 2017 Silk Way Rally
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Tatra's Czech truck driver Ales Loprais and his Czech co-drivers Khalid Alkendi and Petr Capka compete in Stage 9 of the Silk Way 2017 between Urumqi and Hami China, on July 17, 2017. #
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Japanese truck's driver Teruhito Sugawara and co-driver Hiroyuki Sugura stand next to a vehicle which fell off a road in Stage 2 between Tcheboksary and Ufa, Russia, on July 9, 2017. #
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Truck driver Gerard De Rooy of The Netherlands and co-drivers Darek Rodewald of Poland and Moises Torrallardona of Spain in Stage 7 between Urzhar and Karamay, China, on July 14, 2017. #
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Driver Binglong Lu (right) and his co-driver He Sha of China pass Peugeot's driver Stephane Peterhansel and his co-driver Jean Paul Cottret of France during Stage 10 between Hami and Dunhuang, on July 18, 2017. #
Franck Fife / AFP / Getty -
Italy's Eugenio Amos and his co-driver Sebastien Delaunay of France ride over sand dunes while competing in Stage 12 between Jiayuguan and Alxa Youqi, China, on July 20, 2017. #
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Peugeot's French driver Cyril Despres (left) and co-driver David Castera of France and Peugeot's driver Stephane Peterhansel and his co-driver Jean Paul Cottret of France compete during Stage 13 between Alxa Youqi and Zhongwei, China, on July 21, 2017. #
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Peugeot's French driver Cyril Despres poses with a trophy on the podium of the 2017 Rally Silk Way in Xian, China, after winning the race for the second time, on July 22, 2017. #
Franck Fife / AFP / Getty
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