NEW DELHI, July 11: In a first, an ace team of mountain bikers will represent India in the elite TransAlp Mountain Terrain Biking challenge in Europe.
Trans alps MTB is the oldest and most prestigious event of the world and the biggest in Europe. India will be participating in this race for the first time, thanks to Hero Cycle which has mentored a team for this prestigious event.
Two of the ace bikers, Shiven Sharma and Devendar Thakur chosen for this race come from the remotest parts of the India with nothing but a passion for mountain biking.
The Hero Action Team, which is mentoring the Indian side, was conceptualised by HASTPA and Hero Cycles in 2014 with an objective to provide a platform and ecosystem for budding biking talent in the country.
“Identifying talent right at the school level, training them and taking them to world stage has been a dream we have pursued with relentless zeal for the last couple of years. So whether it’s the team’s training, travel, nutrition, or equipment they have not stinted on anything,” said Pankaj Munjal chairman , Managing Director of Hero Cycles.
The riders have been training for 20-25 hours a week for the last 45 days averaging 30-50 km with interval training mostly on climbing and training on slopes.
Shiven Sharma, the timid guy from the mountains of Lahaul, has been groomed into an avid biker who became last year’s national champion. He is now doing Mechanical Engineering at NIT Kurukshetra.
His colleague Devendar riding UT Pro series (range of bike) is from Pangi, a little known hamletin the Himalyan hills near Shimla. (PTI)
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