MTB
Athletes, presenters, radio jockeys, and the Mizoran Sports Minister were all in attendance for the first urban downhill mountain bike race in India.
The moment Mirang Manek landed in Aizawl on his first visit to Mizoram’s capital, he knew his trip would be incomplete. A walk around town had him realise how perfect the terrain was for hosting Red Bull Tlang Ruam, India’s first urban downhill biking race.
“As soon as I saw the terrain, I was disappointed that I didn’t have my bike with me to ride here. There couldn’t have been a better place for a race like Red Bull Tlang Ruam,” says Mirang, a cyclist, show host and present based out of Mumbai.
What makes Aizawl an enticing prospect for urban downhill is that the entire city is laid out on the hilly slopes in a jumbled maze of structures. Long flights of staircases and narrow winding streets are lifelines for the folks who live here and a dream for urban downhill riders.
“The first time I rode here, I realised that I needed to brake really hard because the terrain is just so steep. It took some time getting used to it. But the gradient really hit me when I had to tow the bike back uphill during the practice session,” says Chiang ‘Dan’ Sheng Shan, the champion of the inaugural edition of Red Bull Tlang Ruam.
It was no different for distance runner Akshada Patil.
“This was my first visit to the north-east and I was amazed to see how this city is built. I would say it’s brutal for someone who is even walking in the streets, so I knew riding a bike down these slopes would be quite something,” Akshada says.
Urban downhill biking is a sport that Mizoram’s Sports Minister, Lalnghinglova Hmar, was aware of, though he had never had the opportunity to watch it in person. When he looked up social media, he was amazed at the kind of following the sport had around the world.
“I was really surprised to hear that Red Bull was interested in organising an urban downhill race in Aizawl. I had never imagined bikes going down the stairs of our city and I think it would be just the same for a lot of people who live here. It was quite thrilling to watch the riders in action,” he says.
Manoa Ralte, a radio jockey with Red FM in Aizawl, was delighted when he realised that the Vavmulutha Steps were a part of the 960 metre-downhill track for the race.
“Those were the stairs I took everyday as a little boy while going to the Holy Heart School. So I was really excited to hear that India’s first urban downhill race would run down the same path. Just the mention of Aizawl on this international platform is great validation for this city,” Manoa says.
Before race day, Akshada spent time walking down the track to understand what riders had to deal with during each run. It was only once she took the stairs that she realised the level of difficulty they posed.
“Each stair is uneven and of a different size, which means that a lot depends on the rider’s skills and how they negotiate these sections. I even witnessed a crash which made me realise what an integral part it was of this sport. But the best moment was to see that even after falling, the rider didn’t back off. He simply picked up his bike and took off again,” she says.
Mirang too spent quite some time alongside the riders, a lot of them getting their first taste of long urban downhill stretches. He lauded the mentorship session led by Chile’s three-time elite national downhill champion, Pedro Burns, which he believes did wonders for the confidence of the participants.
“Every piece of information on riding skills is available on YouTube for free. But when a mentor looks you in the eye and offers advice, it really sinks in. The smallest tip handed out by Pedro, whether it was about the suspensions or body language, had an impact on the runs and just raised the level of the sport. And I hope these mentorship sessions continue in the future as well,” Mirang says.
A little experiment he conducted on the track explained the rollercoaster emotions that the spectators went through, each time a rider stormed past them.
“I kept an eye on my heart rate monitor, which would jump from 60 to 90, come back to 80 and then climb to 95 as I saw the action unfold. So kudos to the entire team that put up such a world-class event,” Mirang says.
The race brought down 21 riders from five countries across Asia. On race day, Manoa was left with mixed emotions as he soaked in all the action.
“It’s an extreme sport, so I was really nervous for the riders in case someone crashed. At the same time, the rush of adrenaline that I experienced was unmatched. Of course, being a Mizo myself, I was biased towards the local boys winning the race,” he says.
Besides a fillip for the sport, Lalnghinglova believes that the event will be a game changer for the state in the time ahead.
“What has unfolded here in Aizawl is unthinkable. Through this event, I believe that Mizoram can now be advertised as a destination for mountain biking and other adventure sports, besides of course, tourism,” Lalnghinglova says.
