Srinagar, July 14: The Zabarvan Legends Series (ZLS), India’s premier downhill mountain biking championship, is set to return this October with an expanded calendar featuring three new venues across Ladakh, Sikkim and Maharashtra, while Gulmarg—the venue that hosted the inaugural round in 2025—has been left out of this year’s championship due to administrative delays.
The announcement comes a year after the championship’s successful debut, which saw races organised in Gulmarg, Shillong and Guwahati, attracting more than 30 elite riders from India and several other countries. The inaugural edition featured some of the world’s leading downhill mountain bikers, including Australia’s eight-time UCI Downhill World Champion Samuel Hill, along with competitors from Brazil, the Czech Republic, Iran, Nepal, Indonesia and other nations.
Brazilian rider Douglas Vieira emerged as the overall champion of the inaugural Zabarvan Legends Series after delivering consistent performances across all three rounds. Australia’s Samuel Hill finished second, followed by Czech rider Matej Charvat and Iran’s Hossein Zanjanian.
The Gulmarg leg, staged on the slopes beneath the world-famous Gulmarg Gondola, attracted considerable international attention and was streamed live to a global audience through the championship’s official YouTube platform. The race was widely regarded as a significant milestone for adventure tourism in Jammu and Kashmir, showcasing Gulmarg’s potential as a destination for world-class mountain biking beyond its established reputation as a winter sports hub.
Organisers had planned to retain Gulmarg as a permanent venue on the championship calendar and hoped to further strengthen its identity as a premier summer and autumn destination for gravity racing.
However, those plans could not materialise this year.
According to the organisers, despite extensive preparations, the Gulmarg round had to be dropped after the required administrative approvals could not be secured before registrations for the 2026 championship commenced. They said the delay made it impractical to include the Kashmir venue in this year’s schedule.
Expressing disappointment over the development, the organisers maintained that Gulmarg had demonstrated exceptional promise during the inaugural edition and remained one of the finest mountain biking destinations in the country. They expressed hope that the championship would return to Gulmarg in future editions once the necessary approvals are obtained well in advance.
The 2026 edition will instead introduce three new venues designed to showcase India’s diverse mountain terrain. The championship will begin in the forests of Sikkim from October 8 to 11 before moving to the high-altitude landscapes of Ladakh from October 14 to 18. The final leg will be held on the rugged trails of Pune, Maharashtra, from October 22 to 25.
Organisers said the expansion reflects the championship’s broader objective of taking international-standard downhill mountain biking to different parts of the country while strengthening India’s presence on the global gravity racing circuit.
The series is expected to once again attract leading downhill riders from India and abroad, reinforcing its growing reputation as South Asia’s premier downhill mountain biking championship. Besides promoting competitive cycling, the organisers believe the event has emerged as an important platform for adventure tourism, athlete development and sustainable mountain sports.
The championship is being organised under the aegis of the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) with support from the Span Foundation and Beenest Media.
Registration details, the final race schedule and the list of participating riders are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. [KNT]
