Building the Future for Mountain Biking as a Sport

If the government builds a base for a sport, then everyone can have a try on it. Then, they will know what it is like to actually pursue your passion. Everything takes time, it is not like you achieve gold by training for a day, so it is in everyone’s bes

Shreyashka Vikram Raj Maharjan in conversation with Laxmi Magar, Rajesh Magar, Okesh Raj Bajracharya, and Alin Maharjan. Text by Dibesh Maharjan & Priyanjali Karn

Any type of game or competition you participate in involves battling, not only with others but also with yourself. It’s easy to compete yourself against other people but -- at the end -- even if you win, you essentially only achieve what is important to others, not necessary to you. But when you start comparing your present self with your past self, then you start seeing results that are important to you as well. It is true that winning brings advantages that make it even easier to keep winning, but winning without any purpose is futile. So what is the secret to winning? I guess nobody has a definite answer. Everyone has their own secret which works out only for him or her. Here, we look through the journey of four athletes who started with humble beginnings and ended up competing in the 13th South Asian Games in the mountain biking category.

Journey so Far

Rajesh Magar

All of these athletes, however, have not had the best amenities in terms of equipment and facilities. Despite that they have been able to participate and compete with other world-class athletes. Consider Rajesh Magar, 23, originally from Solukhumbu in the eastern part of Nepal. He has already gone to achieve so much more than many other of his age. From participating in international races to being one of the National Geographic Adventurers of the Year 2018, he has established himself as a top-class mountain biker. Coming from a humble background, Rajesh started mountain biking from a young age although he couldn’t afford buying a bike at first. He even borrowed his first bike from a household where his mother used to work. As he did not even know how to pedal the bike, he wondered how he could ride that. “My neighbor offered to help and taught me the basics. The starting days were rough but I gradually got used to it,” says Rajesh. He used to skip classes just to be in his bike which got him into trouble at school with the teachers. “I was constantly told to focus more on my studies, but I didn’t let my love for mountain biking fade away,” adds Rajesh. As other kids got addicted to drugs and alcohol at an early age, mountain biking was Rajesh’s hook.

Living in the outskirts of Kathmandu, Rajesh got acquainted with fellow mountain bikers when they were on their ride. He got into talking with them and learned various techniques. “Seeing the riders play with their bikes inspired me to become a good rider. Then, I started trying some antics and stunts on my bike,” told Rajesh when asked how he built his basic form. As time went by, when Rajesh watched videos on the internet and tried out other bikes, he realised that the overall build-up of the bike also influenced his performance. So, he bought a second-hand bike from his friend and customized his bike by instilling suspension of a motorbike to withstand the downhill tracks. We often say that good things come to those who wait. In similar vein, in 2013, he went to ride in the downhill tracks of Hattiban where he also met Upendra Rana and Nirakar Yakthumba of Lalitpur Cycling Association. Seeing them, other riders would be full of praise, and would tell them that they ride was brilliant. “My first race was the National Downhill Championship in 2013, which couldn’t have been possible without the help of Parmeshwar Pokhrel who paid my registration fees, and also Sajjan Rajbangshi who offered me his bike to compete in the race,” said Rajesh. He came in the 6th position, which earned him extra motivation and praise from other fellow riders for him to continue riding and improving himself. After completing high school, he worked in different companies around Thamel, and while competing in as many races as he could. Although he had taken part in various races, he didn’t think of mountain biking as a profession. His initial plans of joining the British Army changed to becoming a professional mountain biker when he met Mandil Pradhan at a race he was competing. Mandil offered his bike to Rajesh to compete in the race in which Rajesh came in the 4th position despite the technical problems in the bike. He added: “I became even more motivated after coming in the 4th position despite the sagging chain in my bike.” Meeting with Mandil Pradhan was definitely the turning point in Rajesh life’s as Mandil offered him to work for his company, Himalayan Rides. Rajesh couldn’t say no to such an opportunity and he instantly agreed to work. Since then, Rajesh got so much international exposure working for Himalayan Rides that he got a sponsorship from Yeti Cycles, a mountain biking company based in Colorado, USA. Now, he probably owns the most expensive mountain bike in Nepal.

“I don’t know if it is luck or sheer coincidence, I got many sponsorships from reputed companies that I became National Downhill Champion four times,” says Rajesh. But it is clear that it is his talent that got him to where he is now. He eventually went to Thailand for his first participation in the Asian Championships, where he was about to give up after he dislocated his shoulder during one of the jumps while practicing. But the coaches motivated him to stay in the race, allowing him to improve from his mistakes. After the race in Thailand, when he came back to Nepal, he and some of his friends built pump tracks in Hattiban to practice jumps which proved to be beneficial for his future races.

Okesh Raj Bajracharya

Okesh Raj Bajracharya, from Bungamati in Kathmandu, started mountain biking as a hobby and went on to participate in the South Asian Games. It has already been eight years since he first started mountain biking. A cross-country race was organized at that time at a place not so far from where he lived. My uncle, who is also a mountain biker, suggested me to take part in the race. I trained really hard for the race and my hard work paid off, making me the winner in the junior category," said Bajracharya with a proud smile on his face. He really didn’t expect to win which made his fascination towards mountain biking grow massively that time. But sadly, he couldn’t continue his journey because it is an expensive sport and even more so when you’re just starting it.

"I was acquainted with another mountain biker, Ajay Bajracharya, who always motivated me to continue the sport. He also gave me a really expensive bike just so that I do not quit mountain biking. He also used to coach me and is one of the people I look up to," said Okesh when asked how he overcame the difficulties in his early days. He further added that tips and tricks provided by Ajay helped him a lot and Ajay is the reason he has been successful. Only in his first experience in national games in the elite category earned him a spot in the top 7. Motivated by the result, he got determined to keep on trying and hoped to win the national games in the coming years. Luckily, after two years, PANC, a mountain biking company located in Ason, supported him and they sponsored a well-built bike for him as well. “After that, I started improving my skills and climbed places in national games too," added Okesh.

After that, he enrolled in the army, specifically in the Tribhuwan Army Club, so as to not be passive. "After joining the army, I got into rigorous training which helped me to increase my stamina substantially. A lot of sharing between friends in the army also helped me to boost my strength and endurance," said Okesh about the benefits he got after joining the army. Their mentor in army is Major Rajiv Chand, who constantly helped them to better themselves.

Alin Maharjan

Alin Maharajan started mountain biking from a very young age. He used to make obstacles in rooftops and ride there. However, after completing the 10th grade, he got into it more and was really interested. “Being the son of a marathon runner, I also wanted to do something in the field of sports. It is seeing my father’s hard work that inspired me to continue riding my bike,” says Alin. And in 2010 when there was a road-bike race in Sankhu, Alin instantly signed up for it and came in the 5th position. Not having his own bike at the time, he rented out a simple bike and went into the race.

After Alin moved to Bode, he bought his own mountain bike, but couldn’t give much time to it because of his ongoing undergraduate studies. “After completing my undergrad, I and a friend opened a mountain biking company known as Wotu Bikes. During the in-season, I work as a mountain biking guide and in the off-season, we organize training programs and try to help the future generations,” says Alin.

It is only since 2015 that he started a proper strict training routine for National Championships. Since then, he has gone to participate in long-distance international races in countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka. “In 2018, Nepal Cycling Association sent me to India to compete and experience in road biking race. From that, I realized that road biking is my thing and also has huge potential in Nepal,” says Alin.

“This is the first time in Nepal that a competition in road bike happened in SAG, so the training regime was quite different and it took me a while to get adapted. Once I got used to it, the passion for road biking intensified and I enjoyed it,” says Alin, when asked how he prepared for the South Asian Games.

Laxmi Magar

Originally from Betrawati, Nuwakot, Laxmi Magar started mountain biking in 2008 with a fun ride with some of her Sherpa friends. “I first learned to pedal when renting the cycle, which used to cost only around Rs 1-2. This amount at present is negligible and everything is expensive,” says Laxmi. Mountain biking is definitely an expensive sport to choose. This is not only in Nepal but everywhere else in the world. When she first went to participate in an international race in Europe, she learned that it is the same there as it is here.

“Although it is a challenge being a girl, coming from a middle-class family to take mountain biking as a sport in the Nepalese society, I had a lot of friends interested in the sport so we managed to eventually keep up,” says Laxmi. After she completed her degree, she kept her spirits high and continued mountain biking while also working. “Even if your parents support you financially, mountain biking is still an expensive sport so it can get hard when you’re starting but you’ll eventually get past it.” adds Laxmi. Laxmi says that if she hadn’t gotten support from different people like her parents, sponsors, friends and other family members then she wouldn’t have reached the level she is enjoying now.

“In 2014, I went to South Korea for the 17th Asian Games to experience the cross-country mountain biking scene in South Asia. With this experience, I met a lot of people and got to know how the races are organized,” says Laxmi when asked about her first race experience. Again in 2018, when competing in road biking in SAFF Championship, many coaches and athletes were in praise for her as road biking isn’t that common in Nepal. She has participated in many cross-country races in both Nepal and abroad, notably in races like Yak Ru, Yak Attack that passes through high altitude in the Annapurna Circuit trail. “My performance in the races were really good and I got invited to races in Europe and India where I had an opportunity to meet top riders from around the world,” says Laxmi. She aspires to take the confidence that she got from winning the previous races to the 13th South Asian Games. The cross-country discipline had plenty of steep uphills, technical descents and tons of singletracks.

Support from Nepal Cycling Association

Athletes, however gifted they are in terms of talent or capital, without the support from a governing body, cannot succeed in their goals. Our athletes who competed in the mountain biking category in South Asian Games were also supported by the Nepal Cycling Association (NCA). Alin Maharjan says the members of NCA were in constant support for them and motivated them to train for the games. “The members of NCA helped us during training by hiring trucks and jeeps to clear the road for us to train properly. Also, Gopal Kakshapati, built a track from Balkhu to Suryabinayak and instructed us to train properly in the track,” says Alin. He also adds that some members have previously competed in big competitions, so they used their experience and did everything they could to make this event a world-class. “For road-biking, NCA provided us necessary equipment like road-biking shoes, handlebars, cycle and also helped us to maintain our bikes properly,” says Alin. Rajesh says, “Since it was the first time Nepal won medals as a team in such a prestigious competition, the members of NCA did all in their power to make this successful. It is their sole belief that made this possible and in turn their determination motivated us to give our best in the competition.” Laxmi echoed similar views and said that NCA members gave 100% effort. Okesh said, “Our basic necessities were fulfilled. If we weren’t satisfied with the training methods, then it will surely show negativity in our performance. So they provided us with the best facilities during our closed-camp training,” when asked about how he thinks about the support from NCA.

Alin added that road-biking overall is slowly getting popular and if the roads in Nepal are well maintained, then road-biking could be an important part of mountain biking scene in Nepal. “Hopefully, the government has realized that already and is planning to build a well-made road-biking track which will be a huge boost for road-bikers like me and eventually other road-bikers will also emerge,” says Alin. Alin knows about the road-biking scene abroad, where it is really popular and advanced like the Tour De France and Giro d'Italia, and he optimistically hopes that one day it will also be the same here in Nepal.

Adventure Sports in VNY 2020

As the Visit Nepal 2020 (VNY 2020) had already started, we also asked the views of the athletes on how do they think VNY 2020 will influence adventure sports. In Rajesh’s opinion, during this time, we should organize big events dedicated to adventure sports and invite riders from abroad. "It is a fantastic opportunity for us. Inviting riders from abroad will also be helpful for the local riders here as they get to compare themselves with international athletes and learn from them. The international riders will also get an opportunity to explore the terrains and trails of Nepal, and they will want to come again, which will be a big contribution to the tourism industry of Nepal," says Rajesh.

Rajesh works as a mountain biking guide when he's not competing in races. He says, "When I go to work in the mountains as a guide, I meet a lot of people and most of them come here every year. This is not because they don’t have mountain biking trails in their home country. They have much better trails, but what they don’t have is natural terrains which Nepal is rich in. They come to Nepal spending their entire month-salary just to experience that."

Laxmi says, "We should use VNY2020 as a mileage for the upcoming years for the tourism industry in Nepal. We should make a positive impact from 2020 and use it as a promoting factor. "Mountain biking is directly related to the tourism industry so if we want to promote cycling, then the road conditions should be really good and continuously maintained like it was during SAG,” said Laxmi. As the present world is chiefly based on social media, we can also promote mountain-biking by uploading videos, photos and instilling ads on large billboards as well.

According to the athletes, the environment is the major thing that should be secure for foreigners. "Basic things should be taken care of. For instance making the check-in process hassle-free at airports. The most important thing is that foreigners should feel comfortable while traveling to Nepal," said Rajesh. Laxmi says, "The corruption involved in Nepal should be punished and avoided during VNY2020. The foreigners coming to Nepal will expect a good journey for them, so we must help to fulfill that expectation." The athletes will be giving our all to the nation, but the nation should also show efforts to promote the tourism sector.

SAG Games, Cycling and Tourism

Tete - e - Tete with Mr Gopal Sundar Lal Kakshapati, President of Nepal Cycling Association

With regards to the preparation for the 13th South Asian Games, what were the expectations of Nepal Cycling Association (NCA)?

For mountain biking, the expectations were overall very positive and hopeful since there is a strong discipline of cycling in Nepal. We were optimistic that everything would work out well, which it did. When it came to road cycling, however, it was something new for us as well, so we didn’t have too high expectations for it. Nevertheless, we performed very well in it, compared to other countries.

How did you feel with regards to the performance of the mountain biking team in the 13th South Asian Games?

They did very well. Nepal won 10 out of 12 medals, which pretty much shows how good of a competitors Nepalese really are when it comes to mountain biking. Compared to other countries, Bangladesh and Sri-Lanka don’t really have a very good experience in mountain biking, so the only real competitor Nepal had was India, as in India mountain biking is slowly emerging through Indian cycling federation. So, I now feel mountain biking is one of the biggest cycling sports in Nepal.

What would you like to say about the individual riders: Rajesh Magar, Laxmi Magar, Okesh Raj Bajracharya, and Alin Maharjan?

Rajesh is a very dedicated rider who has not only ridden in Nepal, but also in India. He has been practicing in very extreme mountain places as well. So because of that he has a lot of strength, stamina and a lot of adventurous courage. Basically, when mountain biking, especially in a downhill track, you need a lot of courage as the roads are rough and bumpy. He is good in two terms: number one, when cycling downhill, you need to go in a very high speed, and number two, there comes a series of obstacles. Rajesh did a very good job when it came to tackling the obstacles and coming down. He has a true passion for biking, which he proved in his this attempt, and now we can call him a national athlete as well.

Laxmi, she’s a very passionate rider but she is a little bit short tempered, which comes out to be a drawback. But what I really appreciate about Laxmi is that she is very daring when it comes to cycling. So I feel like if she could correct some bits and pieces of her personal behaviour when it comes to her temper, she has the potential to be a very good athlete in mountain biking.

Okesh is a good rider, but I think he’s not very persistent with what he does. He sometimes works very hard, but then at the other times, he loses his interest in cycling. But I think if he continues to work as an athlete with a consistent attitude, he has a big future in mountain biking ahead of him.

Alin has shown his passion for cycling from the very beginning, despite the fact that Nepal is very new at this discipline. He has done a couple of trainings, and he has actually learned and improved a lot. This is the first time in SAARC games when we, not only took part as riders, but it also got an opportunity to learn about how the road cycling actually takes place. So it was good to watch Alin participate in this. He is a very hardworking person, no doubt about that, but he still needs a lot of practice in road cycling and needs to learn to work as a team.

What more can be done to uplift the sport of mountain biking and road cycling in Nepal and how can NCA play a greater role?

In Nepal, mountain biking has a lot of potential. The only thing is we have not been able to do much about it until now. Nepal is naturally gifted for mountain biking, and you can mountain bike all over the country. So we can make an effort to develop this aspect of sports in Nepal as it can result in infinite possibilities. The only thing is that we have to work hard and create more potential riders in Nepal when it comes to mountain biking. Not only for Nepal, NCA can play a very big role in promoting mountain biking in the world. We can invite mountain bikers from all over the world and organize tournaments, rallies and rides here as Nepal is a very popular and suitable destination for mountain biking. When it comes to road cycling, it also has a lot of potential in Nepal. Plus, especially in the Terai, 60 to 70 percent of people prefer cycling. So what I’m planning to do is turn the committed cyclists and riders of Nepal into athletes. If we can do so, we can potentially build representatives of Nepalese athletes in cycling as well. However, when it comes to other sports related to cycling, we haven’t been able to do much about them. But in the days to come, NCA is planning to make efforts about this aspect of sports as well.

What plans does the NCA have with regards to Visit Nepal Year 2020 for the sport of cycling?

We can say that Visit Nepal 2020 and cycling can go along with each other, but unfortunately, Visit Nepal authorities have not contacted the Nepal Cycling Association to work together yet. Although, I think the Tourism Board and Visit Nepal Committee are working on private cycling initiatives, it hasn’t given any role about this to NCA.

When talking about cycling and tourism, it has been proven that cycling tourism is one of the growing possibilities of Nepal that has been slowly earning the popularity of tourists as well. So it does have a lot of unrealized potential. But what the Visit Nepal Year officials have not realized is that they can promote cycling destinations as well, in general. For instance, they can organize mountain biking campaigns in Nepal in places that haven’t yet been considered yet.