'Tour the Himalayas' set to start from Sunday

Cycling enthusiasts in the country will get to witness their own version of 'Tour the Himalayas' with India's first ever mountain biking race all set to be held here on November 17.
Being organised jointly by the Mountain Track Biking Association of Uttarakhand(MTB), Cycling Federation of India (CFI) and Artsmith Concepts and Visions with support from the state government and the Indian Army, the event will have races in three categories for the elite riders (20 kms), the amateurs (15 kms) and the teens (10 kms), MTBA, Uttarakhand president Rahul Jain told reporters here today.
Over 100 top riders of the country have agreed to participate in the event to be held on a scenic track in the Himalayan foothills, Jain said.

The tournament offers a total prize purse of Rs 2.5 lakh (in the professional category) with the top ten cyclists getting a share of the prize money, he said.
Secretary General Cycling Federation of India Onkar Singh thanked the state government and the Indian army for supporting this initiative and expressed confidence that the event will grow in stature in the next few years.
"We are planning to initiate talks with the International Cycling Federation to put this event in their calendar for next year so that international cyclists can also participate and enjoy the terrains of the Himalayas," Singh said.

Named Cycle for Life, the event has LIC as its title sponsor and will be a tribute to the resilience shown by the people of Uttarakhand in the aftermath of the natural calamity that struck the state in June.