Three Himachal riders to capture European Alps

Shimla, June 19: After capturing the mighty Himalayas, three amateur mountain bikers from Himachal Pradesh are set to cross the European Alps next month, an organiser said on Sunday.

The bikers will be competing in the 19th edition of the Bike Transalp that will draw 1,200 bikers from 40 tions.

“Four bikers, three from Himachal Pradesh and a German who’s settled in India, representing our club are participating in the Bike Transalp from July 17-23,” Mohit Sood, president of the Himalayan Adventure Sports and Tourism Promotion Association (HASTPA), told IANS. Every year, HASTPA organises the Hero MTB Himalaya rally, billed as the third toughest mountain biking event in the world after Trans-Alps Challenge (Europe) and Trans-Rockies (Cada). Sood said the bikers — Davinder Thakur, Shiven and Ashish Sood as well as Heinrich Such, a German based in India — would represent HASTPA in the toughest amateur mountain bike stage race being organised by Ley Events GmbH of Germany. The event will cover 519 km spread over Austria, Italy and Switzerland.

Two-time champion of Hero MTB Shimla, Devender Thakur, 22, said it was a dream come true for him to participate in the intertiol event. IANS