It is that time of year when the Blue Mountains call out to intrepid cyclists around the country. The 2017 edition of Tour of Niligiris (TFN) rolled out from Bengaluru on December 10. The 1,000 km riding challenge is promoted by Ride-A-Cycle Foundation (RAC-F), a non-profit organisation, that works towards popularising cycling for commuting, leisure and as an agent of social change. The mega riding event has 128 cyclists participating from across the globe. The TFN is in its 10th year, which also coincides with 200th year of the invention of the cycle.
The cyclists pedal from Bengaluru through Madikeri, Sultan Bathery, Udhagamandalam (Ooty) and finish at Mysuru on December 17, covering Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The cyclists will cover around 1,000 km across seven stages through curves, speedways, amazing terrains including plains, mountains, coffee and tea plantations besides three wild life sanctuaries. In addition, there will be competitive segments, testing the skill of the riders.
Of the 128 competitors, there are eight women. The list includes 18 riders from abroad from The Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, USA and Russia. The notable participants include Alexis Grewal – an Indian American who won an Olympic Gold in road cycling in 1984; Lt. Col. Dr. Srinivas Gokulnath, India’s first RAAM (the 5000 km Race Across America) finisher; Naveen John, thrice winner of National ITT Championships and national Road Race championship and Bengaluru’s Kiran Kumar Raju, the National MTB Championship winner in 2015 and 2016. Cyclists from Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) are also riding in the Tour.
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Alexis is quite excited to ride in TFN, “For 10 years I have looked forward to ride in India and I am thrilled to join the Tour of Nilgiris on it’s10th anniversary. It will be a ride of a life time for me, and I will treasure the experience.”
Satish Belawadi, the tour director says, “The tour is a cycling Nirvana. Through this, we hope to help more people re-connect with the simple joys of cycling, possibly forgotten in today's world.”
There is a holistic angle to TFN as there are quite a few riders in the fray to raise funds for their respective charities and create awareness about their social causes.
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Deepak Majipatil, Co-Founder, RAC-F, says , “From a humble beginning the Tour of Nilgiris has emerged as the largest and most loved bike tours in the country that has put India on the global cycling map. The participation of elite cyclists from across the globe speaks volumes of the popularity of TFN. We at RAC-F, are keen to make TFN 2017 a memorable event.”