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Sharma said their focus is on honing the skills of aspiring young riders in a supportive, safety-conscious environment. All riders must wear full protective gear and have a parent or guardian accompany them during the race, he stressed. \u201cThis family involvement creates a meaningful experience for both the young riders and their families, letting them enjoy the sport together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The race organisers have capped the number of slots in the category at six and waived the Rs13,000 sign-up fee. <\/strong>Parents and young participants have lapped it up enthusiastically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking for his son Rahul, Laxmi Prasad Chaudhary said, “This is just what we needed. Young riders don’t often get a chance to join big events. The Super Junior category gives them that chance, with safety and growth being the focus.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n The parents also welcomed the organisers\u2019 fee waiver. “Mountain biking can be expensive, but this plan helps families get involved,” Chaudhary added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Buddha Kumar Maharjan, father of another entrant Prashanna, sees it as a crucial step towards nurturing young talent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “The boy couldn’t get his legs off the pedals,\u201d he remarked, reflecting on how his son had been practicing for hours each day in anticipation of the upcoming event in Pokhara. Maharjan is hopeful that with continued support through training and incentives, young riders will achieve great things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Also riding in this category is Tshering Pasang Sherpa. The 14-year-old has shown promise in several enduro and downhill events on Nepal’s racing circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The introduction of the Super Junior category at the Pokhara Enduro Race thrilled him. \u201cThis is something every young mountain biker longs for. It opens up a new, fun, and thrilling experience,” said Sherpa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s sad to see so much talent wasted because there aren\u2019t enough opportunities. We need more races to accommodate this age group.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n He added that events like Pokhara Enduro are crucial for promoting extreme sports in Nepal. \u201cIt shows how fun mountain biking can be and how it can change people\u2019s perspectives.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sherpa narrowly missed the podium in the Junior Boys class at the Pokhara Enduro 2023. But he went on to secure third place at the Okhaldhunga Urban Downhill race in February 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Looking back on last season, Sherpa could not help but admire the way the trails are built. \u201cYou could truly sense the dedication of the builders in every twist and turn.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Carved into the rugged terrain of the Arba Hills, six meticulously prepared trails stand as the culmination of three years of dedication by a team of international designers. Their efforts masterfully blended technical challenges with the breathtaking vistas of the Himalayas, creating an unparalleled adventure for riders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The new category is expected to offer junior riders an ideal learning curve as they tackle a shorter version of the enduro course compared to the one used for the competitive categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rakesh Manandhar, a UCI International Commissaire, played a key role in refining the latest course design. He explained, \u201cWe\u2019ve trimmed down some of the challenging sections for the juniors. They can now focus on learning the sport\u2019s rules, building stamina, and improving their technique.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Laxmi Magar, Nepal\u2019s eight-time national mountain bike champion, shares this sentiment. \u201cPokhara Enduro presents one of the better learning environments for juniors. It allows them to soak in both the fun and learning aspects of the sport,” said Magar, who is returning to defend the women\u2019s open title she won in Pokhara last year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Magar, who runs Nepal Cycling School for mountain bike riders of all age groups, believes it could spark a lifelong passion for mountain biking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019ve seen firsthand how mountain biking fosters personal growth and development,\u201d she added. “The Super Junior category will play a significant role in nurturing young riders, providing them with a space to grow without the pressure of full-scale competition.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n By adopting a non-competitive, mentorship-driven format, the 2019 SAG gold medalist said, the new category ensures that young participants will enjoy the excitement of racing. They will also gain valuable insights and lessons from seasoned international riders.<\/p>\n Pokhara Enduro Race organisers introduce the Super Junior category aimed at enhancing the race experience for youth, promoting safety, and passion for mountain biking.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2908,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-feature"],"acf":[],"author_meta":{"display_name":"8850 Media","author_link":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/author\/usr_8850\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/PoE-10-300x200.jpeg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Feature<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Feature<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 2 \u0935\u0930\u094d\u0937 ago","modified":"Updated 2 \u0935\u0930\u094d\u0937 ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on 22 \u0905\u0915\u094d\u091f\u094b\u092c\u0930 2024","modified":"Updated on 25 \u0928\u094b\u092d\u0947\u092e\u094d\u092c\u0930 2024"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on 22 \u0905\u0915\u094d\u091f\u094b\u092c\u0930 2024 14:39","modified":"Updated on 25 \u0928\u094b\u092d\u0947\u092e\u094d\u092c\u0930 2024 08:23"},"featured_img_caption":"[:en]Photo: Anuj Adhikary[:]","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2900"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2900\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3917,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2900\/revisions\/3917"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2908"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Lapping It Up<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/8850media.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Junior-2023-1-1-1024x683.jpg\")
A Perfect Blend<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/8850media.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Junior-2023-2-1024x749.jpg\")
Related Images:<\/h3>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"