9th Discovery Montra MTB-2013 to be flagged off tomorrow

The 9th edition of Himalayan Mountain Biking rally, christened as Discovery Montra MTB-2013 this time, will be flagged off from Shimla tomorrow.
Claimed as the third toughest mountain biking event in the world after the Trans-Alps Challenge (Europe) and Trans-Rockies (Canada), the Discovery Montra MTB-2013 will have two top international bikers as participants for the first time.
Portugal bikers, Louis and Ricardo Rodrigues Martins, ranked world number nine and 17 are star attractions of the six-day rally.
In all, 84 bikers, including 16 foreigners and eight women, are participating in the event and it's for the first time that internationally ranked bikers are taking part in an event in the country.

Ricardo is a three-time champion of Portugal.
The defence forces have entered the largest contingent of 21 bikers including five teams of two members, five solo riders and six bikers from Indian Air Force, including Shishir Man Karki and Naresh Deb Burman, reigning champions in team (team of two) event.

The 491-km rally will be tougher as compared to earlier editions as the format has been changed by replacing the numerous short competitive stretches with longer ones and increasing the single track and average uphill climb.
The endurance of the cycles and the mental toughness of the riders will be on test in the perilous hill tracks of Shimla and Kullu districts with average ascend ranging from 1,800m to 2,000m per day, compared to 1,200m to 1,400m per day last year.

The bikers will have to pedal right up to the 3,300m Hatu peak, a famous tourist destination near Narkanda, which is the highest point of the rally and would serve as base of participants to return after night halt. It is 300m higher than last year's highest point of the Jalori pass and the track includes some hike and bike sections also.
There will be only one 60 to 70-km stretch every day unlike the past when two or three small competitive sections of 15 to 20km were included.