Mountain biking popularises adventure tourism in Arunachal

Arunachal Pradesh recently hosted the first edition of mountain biking. Around 70 professional and ranked riders from India and abroad took part in the event.

The event was flagged off from Menchuka on October 14 and finished on October 20 in Itanagar. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju attended the opening ceremony on October 13 and unveiled the race jersey. He specially tasked Commandant Rajesh Thakur to organise the International cycling race.

The most successful MTB race in India, the MTB Himalaya, was started with a mere participation of 40 riders in 2005. It rapidly grew into a team of nearly 80 competitors in 2016, inspiring other hilly states to follow the lead.

The race covered a distance of approx 730 Kilometers, ranging from the back country trails of Arunachal Pradesh and gaining upto a maximum elevation of 2400 meters. The altitude and distance made it one of the most difficult multi stage mountain race where the riders face the daunting task of trails,single tracks, river crossing and treacherous uphills.