PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL<br/> <br />A thousand miles and counting.<br/> <br />This stray dog has become the inspiration for a group of Chinese cyclists.<br/> <br />Nicknamed "Xiaosa", the dog followed the long-distance cyclists after one of them gave it food.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CYCLIST XIAO YONG, SAYING:<br/> <br />"At first we didn't consider keeping it and thought it just wanted to follow us for a while. But it showed very strong willpower and followed us all the way here. There is a steep downhill slope in Litang, so we made a cage for it."<br/> <br />Xiaosa ran with the team for 24 days, covering over 1,100 miles from central Hubei Province to Tibet.<br/> <br />The little white dog has shown incredible determination, running up to 37 miles in one day.<br/> <br />(SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) CYCLIST XIAO YONG, SAYING: (SOUNDBITE OVERLAID WITH SHOTLIST #16):<br/> <br />"Xiaosa's perseverance moved us a lot. With its encouragement, we finally reached the Potala Palace. Now we are very excited and very moved. I am going to do whatever I need to bring it back with me as it has taken me for its master."<br/> <br />Since dogs are not allowed on trains in China, Xiao Yong plans to pay for his new friend's trip back to Wuhan by air, while he travels by train separately.<br/> <br />Sophia Soo, Reuters.
