Shimla, Apr 6 (IANS): Fifty-two intrepid cyclists set out from here Saturday for the second off-road mountain biking adventure race, Shimla Edition 2013, organisers of the event said.

During the two-day 133-km expedition, the cyclists will test their skills in the hills surrounding the 'Queen of Hills', as Shimla was fondly called by the British.

"The mountain biking started from Shimla ridge and will pass through Shimla and Solan districts," Mohit Sood, president of Himalayan Adventure Sports and Tourism Promotion Association (HASTPA), told IANS.

On day two, the race will start from Chail, once the summer resort of the erstwhile Maharaja of Patiala. The cyclists will pass through Dochi, Sadhupul and Shoghi, and then return to Shimla.

This time, the cycling event has participants from Britain, Italy and Portugal as well.

HASTPA also organises the annual Hercules MTB Himachal, billed as the third-toughest mountain biking event in the world.