Shimla cycling sensation Rajbir Singh, 17, on Tuesday became the 11th athlete to be inducted into the Hero Action Team, India’s first fully supported mountain biking (MTB) team, jointly led by Hero Cycles and HASTPA.

The team identifies and nurtures talent in the sport of mountain biking and has been racing for 7 years now and has produced past and current national champions over the years.

Personalities like Shiven, National Medalist Devender and Akshit Gaur have all been identified and nurtured as part of this initiative.

Rajbir comes from a family of sportsmen who got passionate about cycling after watching international riders who came to Shimla for Himalayan mountain biking.

Resident of Dhalli in Shimla, Rajbir aims to participate in international mountain bike races around the world by representing India.

He has been one of the top performers in the last 2 years on the circuits and placed third (overall) and won the U-19 category in Hero Sprint MTB Shimla. Her ultimate goal is to win the world championship and represent India at the Olympics.

Rajbir idolizes Dutch cyclist Mathieu Van der Pol and his favorite riding spots are Shimla and the Himalayan mountains (higher altitude for training).

Rajbir thanked Hero Cycles and HASTPA for this opportunity and said that they were the pioneers in promoting athletes and talent in the country and that I am honored to ride for the biggest brand of bikes in the country.

“I have always loved riding because I used to ride my cousin’s bike and run the streets like I saw my friends riding. My family also knew that I am crazy about biking, so my dad bought me an ATV when I was 14.

I have always been aware of MTB Himalaya, an international event as many riders used to walk through my shop during racing weeks.

Foreign riders have always motivated me by the way they ride. This is what motivated me to get into cycling and running seriously.

As a member of the Hero Action Team, I want to win all the races I participate in. I hope to be able to represent my team and my country at the World Olympics and the World Championship is my ultimate goal, ”he added.