The sun was shining bright at 40 degrees on NH 4. And, R. Karthikeyan from Tirupur was on his Scott road bike cycling on the highway from Chennai- Nellore-Ongole- Guntur-Vijayawada. He was joined by A.R. Gokul Raj from Annur. “Battling the heat was a challenge. Plenty of water and glassfuls of lassi, buttermilk and watermelon juice helped us stay hydrated,” Karthikeyan recalls.
Karthikeyan and Gokul Raj are among the 19 riders who made it to the finishing line at the recently concluded Madras Randonneurs’ 1000-km brevet. They cycled from Chennai-Vijayawada-Chennai in 75 hours.
“A total of 26 riders participated. Of this, 19 are from Chennai and the others are from Bangalore and Kochi. Three of us went from Tirupur and I made it to the finishing line,” he says. Cycling is a passion for the 31-year-old Karthikeyan, who deals with imported bicycles in Tirupur. “I started cycling to lose weight. I managed just 10 kms on my first ride in Tirupur. Today, it’s a proud moment as I am the first person from my city to have completed a 1000-km brevet.”
He has been doing professional cycling for the last three years. “The 1000- km one was tough. On day one we entered Tada, Andhra border at 11 a.m. From then on it was like a heat wave. During the day we maintained slow pace to conserve energy. We pick up speed once the sun goes down.
When we slow down, our fellow rides motivated us. Other difficulties were crossing some 40 flyovers, and managing sleep. On day three, we started hallucinating,” says Karthik.
They started on March 27, 6 a.m. at Velachery in Chennai, reached Vijayawada at 12.30 p.m. on day two. They were back in Chennai on March 30 at 9 a.m.
The riders are allowed six hours of rest through the entire journey. Gokul Raj adds how the stretch from 700 to 780 km ch was deserted. “There were no shops to refill water. We asked lorry drivers for water.” Gokul Raj currently works as a software engineer in Chennai.
He is a marathon runner and organises Annur marathon every year to promote a healthy lifestyle.
They say training is compulsory in any endurance sport. Gokul enrolled in a gym, knocked off a few kilos, and focussed on endurance training. “I did base rides, where I cycled as well as strengthened my muscles. I covered 60 to 70 kms every day. On weekends I cycled from Annur to Kotagiri, covering 100 km.” Karthik went in for rigorous training for four months. “I did a number of breakfast rides with members of Tirupur Riders Club. We cycled for more than four hours. We try different routes during every outing to keep the excitement going,” he says. His success has motivated many of his friends to join professional cycling.
The sport has many perks, they say. “You feel young at heart. Breathe in pollution-free air and enjoy great bonding and friendship.”
Karthikeyan and Gokul Raj have completed a bouquet of rides starting with 200 km, 300 km, 400 km, and 600 km. This has earned them the Super Randonneurs title.
A 1000- km brevet gives an extra edge to any Super Randonneur to qualify for the cycling extravaganza Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) ride, a grand quadrennial event in August 2015, in Paris.
