He is a physician by profession, but his determination to inspire people to stay healthy has propelled him into the big league. Bicycling for passion, 43-year-old Dr. Ajay Kumar Khandal has, arguably, become the first ‘Super Randonneur’ (SR) from the State. For the uninitiated, randonneuring is a long-distance cycling sport.
He completed an endurance bicycle race of 200 km in 10.40 hours, 300 km in 18.10 hours, 400 km in 25.25 hours and 600 km in 40 hours.
Steely resolve
Failing in his attempt the 600-km race in Mumbai in June was no deterrent for the physician, who recently took part in the 600-km race in Trichy and completed the feat in 40 hours to emerge Super Randonneur.
About a year and half ago, he came across an article about the all-India organisation of randonneurs, which is affiliated to the Audax Club Paris, and developed a passion for cycling. He started pedalling for 25 km initially, and later bumped up the distance to 70 km and subsequently, 150 km on the Rajiv Rahadari as practice.
His first competed in a 200-km race organised by Vijayawada Randonneurs in April and followed it up with a 300-km race in Nagpur the same month with an ordinary bicycle. Then came the 400 km race in Delhi and another 600 km one in Trichy, both of which he successfully completed.
“Actually, randonneuring is not a competition where a person is given any position. It is a competition with your own self and capacity to participate and complete the race within a given time frame,” says Dr. Khandal.
In such competitions, the organisers do not support any participants, except for extending guidance. A participant even has to repair his/ her own cycle if it breaks down, he says. “My participation in the cycling event was self-motivated as there is no challenge with other participants. It is just a challenge with yourself, to complete the ride,” he adds.
Local club planned
When he failed at the 600-km race in Mumbai, another physician Dr Raghuraman and a cyclist from Karimnagar Prakash Holla motivated him to not give up, he recalls. Now, he plans to open a randonneuring club in Karimnagar to encourage cycling among local residents.
