Putin Rides in at Biker Festival

Amongst the world's leaders, there might be plenty of power posturing, but we know who we'd back in a fight: Vladimir Putin.

David Cameron enjoys horse-riding, Nicolas Sarzoky partakes in stamp collecting and Barack Obama celebrated his inauguration by indulging in a spot of ballroom dancing.

But Vladimir is a true man of steel; as evidenced by this brilliant footage of him riding a massive 3-wheel Harley Davidson, with a battleship behind him, as the rocking anthem of the Night Wolves Motorcycle Club blasts out to soundtrack his arrival.

The stunt was part of Putin's campaigning ahead of the December 4 elections for Russia's Duma - the equivalent of the UK's House of Commons - and was held at the Russian city of Novorossiysk, which almost 68 years ago was liberated from Nazi troops.

Putin recalled how the humble motorbike sidecar was often used to take children to safety during the war years at the bike festival, organised by the Night Wolves group, whose leader, the brilliantly-named 'Surgeon', has met the Russian Prime Minister on several occasions.

Having previously been pictured riding a horse topless, scuba diving for ancient relics, hunting tigers, playing judo and flying a fighter jet, there can be doubt he is the hardest leader of them all. We'd hate to see what he'd do to Nick Clegg in a bare-knuckle contest.

Images: PA