For this team of passionate cyclists, the wheel never stops. Randonneuring is a passion that has pushed them into new challenges, powering them to surpass new milestones. Now, the next target of these Super Randonneurs is the international cycling extravaganza Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP), a grand quadrennial event in August 2019, in Paris.
The team from Andhra Pradesh comprising Yogesh Tiwari, Anukaran Arzare, Jagadeesh Babu and Rajeev Kalva has successfully completed the four brevets of 200, 300, 400 and 600 kilometres in one calendar year and received medals from Audax Club Parisien (ACP) recently. ACP, the international governing body in randonneuring and one of the largest cycling clubs in France confers medals or titles to those cyclists who finish a ride (a randonneuring event, also known as a brevet) of 200-km or above certified by the ACP.
The certified ACP brevets are organised in other countries as well and are known as Brevets des Randonneurs Mondiaux (BRM).
“It is a supreme test of endurance. The toughest one is without any doubt the 600 kms brevet,” says Anukaran Arzare, Lt. Commander in the Indian Navy. He was the first Super Randonneur in Andhra Pradesh (post bifurcation) to complete 600 kms ride in 33 hours and 57 minutes. A part of the Vizag Randonneur team, Anukaran says he almost gave up after completing 200 km brevet. “I found it very tough. But the team of Vizag Randonneurs helped me learn many valuable techniques in endurance cycling. Now my next goal is PBP,” says Anukaran, who is also heading to Shimla for mountain terrain biking in May this year.
Addictive
When the randonneuring bug bites it takes the rider a long distance. This is particularly true for Vijayawada-based Jagadeesh Babu, whose first attempt directly made him accomplish 600-km brevet. Though he started cycling for fitness from December last year, he soon found it addictive. “In January, I finished my first BRM of 600 kms in 39 hours and 50 minutes. The toughest was to ride for two nights. We had to literally sleep on the streets and footpaths. This year I plan to achieve three more 600-km BRM and gear up to participate in the PBP in 2019,” says Jagadeesh, who cycles 60-100 kms daily.
Hyderabad-based Rajeev Kalva says the toughest part in completing the BRM was sleep management. He completed his 600-km brevet in Visakhapatnam and is now targeting 1,000-km brevet before he aims for the PBP 2019 event.
The team from Andhra Pradesh comprising Yogesh Tiwari, Anukaran Arzare, Jagadeesh Babu and Rajeev Kalva has successfully completed the four brevets of 200, 300, 400 and 600 kilometres in one calendar year and received medals from Audax Club Parisien (ACP) recently
