Pune, Feb 22 (PTI) HindAyan, a multi-stage cycling race that had begun in Delhi earlier this month, concluded in Pune city of Maharashtra, covering a distance of 1,318 kilometres across five states, its organisers said.
The cycling expedition that passed through Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra, ended in Pune on Sunday. It is the country’s first long-distance cycling race-cum-expedition.
The race had started from the National War Memorial in New Delhi on February 5 and ended at the National War Memorial at the Army’s Southern Command in Pune.
It travelled via Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Bhilwara, Udaipur, Gandhinagar, Surat, Thane, Mumbai and Pune. Around 500 cyclists participated and joined at multiple points of HindAyan.
The participants of the full race, who belonged to the Army and Navy, received a grand welcome by the Army band in Pune. They were welcomed with garlands and felicitated by senior Army officials.
At present, India does not have a long-distance cycling race, hence, members of the National Cycling Team, Adventure Cells of the State Police, and Adventure Cells of Armed Forces have to go to the US, UK, and France to participate in the long-distance cycling race, a statement issued by the organisers said.
In order to promote the culture of cycling and give an opportunity to cycling teams to practice outdoors, HindAyan was organised.
“This was HindAyan’s first year, and we received a great response. I am positive that we have set the ground to make HindAyan one of the biggest cycling events in India on the line of Tour De France,” said Vishnudas Chapke, the organiser who is also the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe overland traveling through 35 countries on five continents. PTI SPK NP NP
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