What is Team Dai?

Team Dai is a cycling community based in Vientiane, Lao PDR and spread all over the world.

What does Team Dai do?

The Team Dai cycling community brings together people from all walks of life, from all nationalities, from all levels of cycling ability to enjoy cycling and socialising together. Each year, the community works together to organise and run a “Team Dai Challenge” to raise money for Lao organisations working in Laos to support Lao people.

What is a “Team Dai Challenge”?

The annual Team Dai Challenge is at the heart of Team Dai. It is the reason Team Dai began!

It is a 3-5 day, 300-500 km bike ride through the countryside of the Lao PDR. It raises money through donations from Team Dai supporters and sponsorship, with every single cent/kip raised going directly to the organisations being supported. Not a single cent/kip is taken for any administrative fees or back end costs. 100% volunteerism is at the heart of Team Dai.

What does Team Dai mean?

The name, “Team Dai” was dreamt up by the three founders of the group. It is a play on words, with the “Dai” part of the name meaning “can” in Lao Language. Not the “can” you drink beer from, but the “can” in the sentence “yes, you can!”

At the same time, the word “Dai” is meant to reference the feeling that most riders of the group experienced during the first training rides the group undertook in the Fall of 2007, preparing for the inaugural ride of 2008. At the top of one of the insane climbs the riders were training on, legend has it that founding member Andrew ‘Wil’ Williamson exclaimed, “I feel like I’m gonna die!”

Hence the name… “Team Dai”.

The team that can!

(and somewhat humorously) The team that might die at the top of one of the 27 km climbs through the mountains of Laos.

How did Team Dai begin?

Team Dai began in 2007 as the brainchild of Bruce Knox, Sophie Donnelly and Ginny Coleman. Bruce and Sophie worked together in Vientiane and Sophie and Ginny shared a house. The three of them loved cycling and wanted to challenge themselves with a long ride. The first test was the 160km ride from Vientiane to Vang Vieng. It wasn’t far enough.

They set their sights on Vientiane to Luang Prabang. Word spread in the sleepy town of Vientiane and numbers grew. There were more than a few crazy cyclists to be found.

Training rides were organised. A team name was decided. A logo was designed. A team jersey was printed. Fundraising began to happen. Needy organisations were identified.

In March of 2008 the inaugural “Challenge” rode out. 10 riders hoping to conquer 390 km in 3 days.

At the end of the three days no-one had died! Ten cyclists had ridden the 390 km and felt an amazing sense of comraderie and achievement.