Dog follows cyclists for 1,100 miles

A stray dog has become an internet star after running for 24 days to keep up with a 1,100-mile bike race across China.

Xiao Sa's incredible journey started when one of the cyclists, Zhang Heng, 22, gave her some food on highway G318 in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

Since then she's become a celebrity in her homeland and a micro blog recording her life online has attracted more than 37,000 followers in two weeks.

Mr Heng, a student in Wuhan, Hubei province, had decided to cycle to Llasa as a graduation trip with friends when he met the lonely dog.

"She was lying, tired, on the street around Yajiang, Sichuan province," he told China Daily. "So we fed her, and then she followed our team."

During their journey, Xiao Sa, Zhang and his team covered 1,138 miles and climbed 10 mountains higher than 4,000m.

"Many people stopped cycling in some sections, then took the bus, but the dog made it," Mr Heng added.

"I would like to take the dog home and take care of her. She has been a stray on the road for a long time. She needs a home."