109 riders participating in the Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris reached Ooty, Tamil Nadu after covering a distance of 107 kms from Sultan Bathery, Kerala. Riders crossed through the Mudumalai National Park in the Nilgiris and the wall of Kalahatti on the fourth day of the Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris 2015. Highlight of Indian Terrain TFN 2015 today was the ‘King/Queen of the Mountains’ climb to Kalahatti – considered a ‘Hors Categorie’; something that is beyond categorization – in simple French cycling terms, one of the toughest climbs possible! The Kalahatti climb gains 1200mts of elevation in about 12 kms giving an average elevation gain of around 10 % with a few stretches going up to 15 % or more of gradient.
The Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris (TfN) 2015 was flagged off on Wednesday, 16th December from Shangri La, Palace Road, Bengaluru early morning by Guest of Honour, Sri. Bhaskar Rao, IPS, ADGP, Charath Narasimhan, CEO- Indian Terrain, Chief guest Shri K.J George, Minister for Bengaluru Development and Town Planning, GOK, Bangalore along with Mr. Sridhar Pabbisetty- Co-Founder, TFN and Jens Corder, General Manager- Shangrila Hotels.
Current standing for Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris (participants ranking):
·Belinda Viegas Mueller from India leading in the Women’s category
·Lord Venky from India leading in the Men’s Masters category
·Nils Eigil Bradtberg from Denmark leading in the Men’s Under 35 category
·Richard Mueller from Germany leading in the Veteran’s category
December 20th is the rest day for riders. Over the next 7 days, cyclists will pedal through towns of Palakkad, Coimbatore and finish at Pollachi.
In its eighth edition, Tour of Nilgiris has grown in stature and participation from across the globe. A total of 109 participants have been selected from over 500 applications received by the organizers to participate in the latest edition of India’s most scenic & endurance testing cycling tour. This year, the event is set to witness participants from Singapore, China, Nepal, Germany, Netherlands, USA, UK and India (the host country). Bollywood actor and Indian terrain brand ambassador, Randeep Hooda unveiled the official jerseys for riders on Tuesday 15, December at Bengaluru.
Participants of the Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris 2015 will ride through three wildlife sanctuaries – Bandipur National Park in Karnataka, Mudumalai National Park in the Nilgiris and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala. The Indian Terrain TFN is set to test the endurance, temperament, physical and mental strength of all participants. To add a dash of competitiveness, Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris has a mix of challenging climbs and flat courses at different stages, aimed at testing the riders’ craft and grit.
Organized by RideACycle Foundation (RAC-F), a not-for-profit advocacy organization, the event is aimed at promoting Cycling Tourism. Commenting on Indian Terrain TfN 2015, Sridhar Pabbisetty, Co-Founder, RAC-F, said, “With each passing year, the event has grown in stature and size as we see more and more participation from cyclists across the globe. Indian Terrain’s association with the event is set to take India’s premier cycling event to newer heights.”
According to Badrinath Sastry, Tour Director, Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris 2015, “Cycling as an fitness sport is fast catching the imagination and TfN circuit has put India on the global cycling map. Besides promoting cycling tourism, the tour owing to its format wherein there is a competitive section will go a long way in promoting cycling as adrenalin driven sport thereby attracting more enthusiasts.”
Dr. Arvind Bhateja best known as Captain of the Spectrum Racing cycling team along with his cousin Vivek Bhateja has already raised INR 10 lakh towards charitable program of Free Spine Surgery at Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital. A total of INR 1.22 lakhs out of a target of INR 4 lakhs has been raised by riders towards charity, the list includes Iksha Foundation (Tanmaya and Anshuman) and Aditya Mehta Foundation (Gangadhar Baliga).
The CMD of Indian Terrain Fashions Ltd., Mr. Venky Rajgopal who is also participating at the Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris said to the fellow participants, “I wish every rider here the very best for the next 8 days and will do my bit to see that the “spirit of man”, the logo of Indian Terrain, propels each one of you to a wonderful and glorious finish. Ride safe!”
The participants a phenomenal mix of professionals, entrepreneurs, lawyers etc for whom cycling in a cool stylish activity which actualizes their true potential.
The winners of TFN 2015 will receive prizes worth INR 25,000 from Indian Terrain, a road bike from Firefox and other goodies from event partners.
Partner for the Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris 2015 include: Indian Terrain (Title sponsor), BASU (Strategic Partner), Sita Bhateja (Medical Partner), Firefox, TREK, Jayanth Probikers (Associate Sponsors), Heinrich (Apparel Partner), TVS and Solver Minds (GPS racking partners), Spectrum (Physiotherapy Partners), Hospitality Partner (Shangri La), Linger, Karcher (Prize Partners), Meraki ( Marketing & PR Partner).
About Indian Terrain:
Indian Terrain Fashions Ltd. [BSE: 533329 | NSE: INDTERRAIN] is one of the leading brands of premium American sportswear for men. Having opened its first store in September 2000, the company was listed in 2011, following a demerger from its parent company. The range of men’s apparel includes shirts, trousers, T-shirts, shorts, mufflers, knitwear, jackets, denim, boxers, and socks. With a turnover of over Rs. 300 crore, the company today retails across the country through more than 800 multi-brand outlets, 150 doors of large format stores, 100 exclusive brand outlets, and through online stores as well.
About RideACycle Foundation (RAC-F):
RAC-F, a not-for-profit advocacy organization, is pioneering an initiative to popularize Cycling for commuting, leisure and as an agent of social change and usher in a Bicycle Freedom Revolution in the country and make it a viable option for daily transportation. RAC-F’s initiative is essentially aimed at bringing back the culture of Cycling by creating awareness in society on the virtues of using Cycle and its benefits.
RAC-F also partners with Cycle-activists, Cycle Manufacturers, Cycling Communities and Government Organizations with a single minded devotion to provide a fillip to Cycling culture. RAC-F is convinced that children are the foundation of the Cycling culture and as a policy distributes free cycles for poor and deserving students. The foundation over the years has initiated several programs including Tour of Nilgiris (TfN), NammaCycle, Cyclerecycle and additionally supported charity activities so as to achieve its stated objectives. For more information log on to: http://www.tourofnilgiris.com