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| Day 2 on rocky Himalayan terrain |
| Tuesday September 29, 2009 |
| Our campsite was next to a riverside and had an amazing view from the camp. I was sharing my camp with a professional photographer Nitin who is a freelancer and is the official photographer of the MTB this year. He clicked some beautiful shots of sunrise. My sore ass from yesterday's ride just reminded me that I have to get ready for another tough and exciting day. The day started with the usual riders briefing. We had to complete one of the toughest stages of the event which would separate men from boys or at least brothers from cousins... The first stage was the grueling 25km gravel uphill after the 5km warm up freeride. We were 4 riders down, due to crashes in the downhill section yesterday. Some of the riders got badly injured and fractured their limbs. It was the end of the race for them but they will still be with us to enjoy the experience. The freeride started with slow pace due to steep uphill from the campsite. I was panting halfway due to cold weather but managed to reach the start off the first competitive stage of the day. Riders were starting in batches in the same fashion. By this time most of us were clear on who will be the top 10 riders leading the pack for rest of the event. While the rest of us in the amateur category started in our usual slow pace for the uphill section, though I did some uphill rides in the past but this was different... the terrain was getting steeper with every turn and tarmac road turned into broken tarmac and that turned into loose rocks and sand which made the ride tougher with distance. After reaching halfway it just got impossible to ride any further as each rock on the road was acting as a speed breaker. So I decided to walk for a while as mid day approached and sun got on the head, which made it difficult to walk as well. There came few moments in the stage where I almost gave up but then it's all in your head, so I made few stops on the way and completed the stage after walking 15km uphill. All the hard work payed off once I got on the top of the clip. The view was mesmerizing. I had lunch and rested for half an hour. I met few more riders from my city Noida and decided to stay together for rest of the day. You never realize how much your body is capable of until you start pushing it to it's limits. I learned today that if you are mentally strong then you can do much more with your body than you can imagine. It's the best tool you can get and I just shaped it efficiently to compete for the rest of the event. Looking forward for a tougher challenge tomorrow. In Pictures: MTB Himachal 2009 |
Neeraj is one of the seventy intrepid cyclists who have set out to conquer the rocky Himalayan terrain for the fifth edition of the Hercules Mountain Biking Himachal-2009, considered India's toughest cycle rally. Cyclists from all over the world will test their ensurance levels and skills on the mountainous terrain of the Himalayas over the next 10 days. 
