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The whole cycling world will have its eyes set on the 11th edition of Hero MTB Himalaya which commences in Shimla from the 27th of September. Mountain Biking is an extremely difficult adventure sport and there are races littered all over the world which test the riders' resolve and their endurance.
The Hero MTB Himalaya is an annual cycling event where bikers ride for around 550 kms in a span of 7 race days, which sees them ride across the glorious Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh. Organized by Himachal Adventure Sports and Tourism Association (HASTPA), riders from all over the world take part in the race.
The 2015 edition will witness 42 foreign participants with 88 Indians from all backgrounds. While some of the riders would be participating just to test themselves, most of the participants will be involved in an intense competition which will end in Shimla on the 4th of October. Throughout these 8 days, the riders will face extreme changes in heights as they will scale upto 3100m above sea level while 700m is the lowest they will fall to.
Juggling an elevation gain of 15,000m over the duration of the race while trying to beat the rest of the competition is no mean feat. The riders will also have to bear major changes in temperatures which go as low as 5 degrees celsius while they could experience highs of 25 degrees celsius.
The terrain where the cyclists would be riding is extremely rocky with gravel and loose mud all over.
Other races
Nicknamed the Tour de France of mountain biking, Cape Epic is an extremely difficult race which takes place in South Africa. The 8-day race is extremely gruelling and it covers 700kms of the African country. It is a classic mountain bike marathon stage race which began in 2002 and finishing it is seen as the ultimate achievement by cyclists.
The Trans Alps is one of the most spectacular stage races in the world. It takes place in Europe and attracts a massive 1200 participants every year. It is a team race, where two riders partner each other in this 7-day race which which starts from Sonthofen and ends at Lake Garda covering a total of 800 kms.
The world's oldest mountain bike race, the Crocodile Trophy, is a 10-day event held in Northern Queensland, Australia. This race, which covers 770 kms sees riders cover an elevation gain of 17,000 kms. The temperatures soar during the day while it drops down to -10 degrees celsius in the nights. This is an extremely challenging race as the cyclists try to fight out the temperature change while trying to beat the other to the finish.
In just over 10 years of its existence, Hero MTB Himalaya has managed to make its place in the top echleons of mountain bike races. The race which takes place on the world's largest mountain range – the Himalayas, is one of the most difficult races in the world as documented back in 2011 when only 42 riders out of the 104 who started, managed to finsh the race.
Hero MTB Himalaya is one of the toughest mountain bike races in the world and with the innovative changes the organisers continue to make every year, the race will continue to surprise the participants and make each year a unique experience for them.
