Rider Padam from Nepal overcame the tough terrain and 70 fellow challengers to win the fourth edition of the Hercules MTB Himachal mountain biking race on Monday.

The race was held in the scenic land of Himachal Pradesh [Images] from September 26 to October 06.

Padam, of the Firefox team, took 13 hrs 19 mins 57 secs time to scale the grueling hills and valleys of the picturesque Himachal mountainside. Ramesh Chandra Joshi from India (Army Adventure Wing) finished second while John Nobile from USA stood third.

The winner received a trophy and a cheque of Rs.1 lakh.

The ten day event which covered 750 kms, saw participants sleep in tented villages.

The race flagged-off Hotel Peterhoff in Shimla and ended the first day at Shilaru Camp.

The route then followed through Tutupani and ended at Bahli on day two. From the third till the last day it wound its way through some technical single-tracks and took the riders to the picturesque villages in the interior parts of Shimla, Mandi and Kullu districts alongwith camping on river sides. 

Participants included independent riders who have already traveled Himachal, Mountain Biking participants from all over the world, college enthusiasts and State-level and National-level cyclists.