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New Delhi, February 04, 2015:
Hero Action Team, India’s first professionally managed mountain biking team, won laurels at the 11thNational Mountain Biking Championship held in Pune from 18th January to 23rd January 2015. Shiven Sharma of Hero Action Team won gold in the ‘under-19’ mass start race and silver in ‘under-19’ time trial competition. While Hero Action Team’s Devendra Thakur finished fifth in ‘Elite’ men category. Hero Action Team is sponsored by Hero Cycles, world’s largest bicycle manufacturer, and mentored by HASTPA (Himalyan Adventure Sports and Tourism Promotion Association) in a joint effort to promote mountain biking in India.
National Mountain Biking Race is one of the biggest cycling events in India organised by Cycling Federation of India. Congratulating the team on its latest success in its short history, Mr Pankaj Munjal, Co-Chairman and Managing Director of Hero Cycles said, “We would like to congratulate the team members for making us proud in the competition. This win takes the Hero Action Team a level higher and will energise the team for future efforts. Such wins reassure us that all the hard work by the cyclists and the support staff of Hero Action Team is yielding results which match their endeavours. With the kind of efforts that they are putting in, the future looks quite promising for these young cyclists.” Hero Action Team uses UT bikes, India’s most trusted mountain biking cycle brand, to compete in all cycling competitions.
Speaking about the winning strategy of the team, Ashish Sood, manager of the Hero Action Team said, “It was a proud moment for the team members to get the opportunity to represent Himachal Pradesh at this national event. The strength and persistence that they showed is a fine example of their preparedness and tough training that they have been receiving over the past few months. We are determined to raise the bar further by winning more titles in the near future.”
Representatives from 13 states participated in the competition that included Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Haryana, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Delhi and J&K among others. The competition saw two broad segments - mass start and time trial segments in both ‘under-19’ and ‘Elite’ categories. There were 12 laps for Elite men, 10 laps for Elite women and 9 laps for under-19 category. After winning the ‘Under-19’ mass start, Shiven Sharma continued his good run by completing the time trial race in 1 hour 3 minutes and 48 seconds thus claiming the second position in the race.
All the five members of the Hero Action Team - Ankush Arya, Devendra Thakur, Gurman Reen, Sanchit Sood and Shiven Sharma participated as individuals in the event. Devendra Thakur finished fifth in the mass start under ‘Elite’ men category. The young and dynamic team was appreciated by everyone at the national event for their performance and determination.
About Hero Cycles Limited
Incorporated in 1956, Hero Cycles Limited is the largest cycle manufacturer in the world. The company has a manufacturing capacity of 7.5 million bicycles per year, with its unit in Ludhiana (Punjab), Bihar & Ghaziabad. The company has highly integrated plant in Ludhiana which produces 19,000 cycles every day. It also manufactures automotive rims and various other auto components. The company produced 5.5 million bicycles in FY14 and sales of Rs 2,000 cr.
Hero Cycles is a leader in both the standard and special bicycle segments in India, with an overall market share of about 35%. The company is equipped with state-of-the-art infrastructure and the most modern machinery. The Company also entered the premium bicycle segment with the launch of its new brand, Urban Trail, in February 2012. A nation-wide distribution network with over 2,200 dealers and the favorable location of its plants near vendors support its operations and facilitate competitive pricing of its bicycles.
Hero Cycles also exports to various countries in Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe.
