Downhill cycle race: Descent of the dark knights

Riders of various age groups display skills.

ISLAMABAD: “I’m not as nervous as I should be,” said a teenager, balancing herself atop a mountain bike and fixing her helmet simultaneously. She was participating in the first ever downhill mountain bike race in Pakistan, held at the foot of the Margalla Hills here on Saturday. Starting well after dusk, the competition, aptly titled Dark Knights by organisers Red Bull Pakistan.

Other participants flaunted their bikes, prepping up for the race and checking for safety gear. The large group comprised of college and university students and their friends and family cheering them on. Music blared from a DJ booth, keeping the spectators and participants enthused. The Ambassador of Austria, Axel Welch, was the chief guest and thoroughly enjoyed the Pakistani youth taking part in this activity.

The race comprised three categories of participants — Open (for amateurs), Open Men (for professionals and semi professionals) and Open Women (for amateur women riders.)

There were 60 participants in all; with batches of five riding to the top of the 250-metre track, through a rocky terrain with obstacles along the way. A buzzer kept track of the time each participant took and their success lay in finishing the race in the fastest possible time. Live screens showed the racers in different phases; some speeding off with seamless ease, bicycle chains coming off and a participant even getting injured by falling off his bike. As a safety precaution, ambulances were parked on a side to deal with any accidents.

The top three winners for the Open Elite category were: Raja Junaid, finishing in 40.78 seconds, Qasim Khan, finishing in 40.38 seconds and Tayab Malik, finishing in 43 seconds. Similarly, the top three winners for Open Men category were Nawaz, finishing in 41.69 seconds, Saad Baig, finishing in 42.37 seconds and Shahvaiz, finishing in 42.69 seconds. Moreover, the winners for the Open Women category were Tehreem, finishing off in 48.67 seconds, Amna, finishing in 1 minute and 3 seconds and Hadia, finishing in 1 minute and 4 seconds. The winners were given cash prizes and gift vouchers. The event attracted participants from across the country, including cities like Peshawar and Lahore. “It’s a great platform for the local youth, engaging them into thrilling sports like cycling,” said musician Zeeshan Parwez, who was seen taking shots for his upcoming music documentary.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 14^th,  2011.