Top 5 foreign riders at the 2015 Hero MTB Himalaya

27th September, 2015 will see the 11th edition of the 2015 Hero MTB Himalaya flag off. This 8-day race will begin from Shimla and covering a loop route across Himachal Pradesh will end in the same city. Around 130 riders are expected to take part in the mountain bike race, out of which 42 will be flying in to India from all over the world.Foreigners have won 8 of the previous 10 editions of the Hero MTB Himalaya. Let’s take a look at the top 5 foreign riders in this year’s edition:

#1 Reimund Dietzen

A Master cross cyclist from Germany, Reimund Dietzen is a force to be reckoned with. Despite being on the wrong side of 50, the German, who is currently settled in Spain, will be going for the win in the Open Masters Solo category.

Dietzen is a two-time German road race champion and has won the national cyclo-cross as many times. His biggest achievement is winning the Vuelta de Espana while he has participated in the Tour de France as well.

Currently working as the Sporting Director with the Gerolsteiner Cycling Team, Dietzen promises to thrill the fans in his maiden Indian venture.

#2 Steven Pauwels

Steven Pauwels is a decorated cyclist and an avid off-road runner. He recently participated in the Mongolia Bike Challenge in testing conditions. The 40-year-old also participated in the oldest stage race – the Crocodile Trophy in Australia apart from gracing other MTB races like Breck Epic, Swiss Epic, TransGermany and the likes.

The 2015 edition will be the first time he will be participating in the Hero MTB Himalaya and he said that he hopes to get a taste of the Himalayan culture, local people and their traditions in his first mountain bike stint in India. Steven will be taking part in the Master Solo Category on his Trek Elite 9.9 bike.

#3 Pau Zamora

Pau Zamora from Spain has been cycling since he was just 12 years old and is a part of the Buff Pro Team. His passion for mountain biking has seen him travel the world. He brings with him a CV which mentions the 36-year-old as a 4-time Cape Epic finisher and 3-time Transpyr competitor while he has also completed the Iron Bike, Andalucia Bike Race and Titan Desert races. He will be seen on his Niner Air RDO bike along with his Buff Pro Team members – Joan Llordella, Antonio Ortiz and David Rovira.

#4 Ilda Pereira

Ilda Pereira, 33 from Portugal found her passion in cycling because her husband, Bruno, was crazy about bikes. She hopped onto a bike to show him her support and has been cycling at various championships since then, glittering them with various podium finishes. The Portuguese will be riding at this years edition of the Hero MTB Himalaya on her Lapierre ProRace Ultimate 2015 in the Women’s Solo Category. In her 5th year of cycling, Ilda wants to leave behind a legacy in her first voyage in the Indian subcontinent at the Hero MTB Himalaya.

#5 Balboni Vanni

The 2008 Iron Bike winner - Balboni Vanni, will be one of the toughest contenders at the 2015 Hero MTB Himalaya as he has just one goal in his mind – 'to dominate Himalayas‘, which he claims will be his ultimate achievement as a cyclist. The 47-year-old from Italy has been riding since 1996 and has participated in reputed races like BC Bike Race Canada, Mongolia Bike Challenge and Iron Bike Italia. Participating in the Masters Solo Category, Balboni expects a good result while completing, what he expects to be, a difficult challenge from 27th September.