La Grande Odyssée sled dog race – in pictures

A musher and his dogs run for the start of the seventh stage of the race in Lanslebourg on 14 January Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

A musher and his dogs run for the start of the race, also on 14 January Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

French musher Dominique Frafil and his dogs Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

Dogs pant while their musher fixes a problem with his sled Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

A musher and his dogs run next to the Mont Cenis lake Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

A musher and his dogs climb the Montee des Échelles during the seventh stage Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

A musher prepares food for his dogs Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

Mushers prepare their dogs at the Polar Base at sunrise before the second part of the seventh stage on 15 Jan Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

A musher and his dogs run through the village of Bonneval-sur-Arc during the eighth stage of the race on 15 Jan Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

Another view of a musher and his dogs running through the village of Bonneval-sur-Arc during the eighth stage Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

Mushers and their dogs start the eighth stage of the race on 16 January Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

Mushers and their dogs wait for the mass start of the eighth stage on 16 January Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

A dog jumps before the mass start of the eighth stage of the race in Bessans on 16 January Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters

Swiss musher Marc Tercier competes with other mushers during the mass start of the eighth stage in Bessans Photograph: Denis Balibouse/Reuters