MYSURU: THE 10th edition of the Tour of Nilgiris (TfN), the annual tour of RideACycle Foundation, with 128 cyclists reached Mysuru on Sunday morning. The famous tour, which has attracted celebrity cyclists, was flagged off from Bengaluru earlier. The cyclists will pedal more than 1,000 km across Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu from December 10 to 17. Starting from Bengaluru, they will travel through Mysuru, Madikeri, Sultan Bathery and Udhagamandalam (Ooty) before returning to Mysuru.
Speaking to reporters here on Sunday, Satish Belawadi, Tour Director, TfN 2017, said the 10th edition has witnessed the largest cycling contingent participation with 128 cyclists. It has attracted top ranking cyclists who have impressive credentials to their name, Belawadi said. The grand tour has proven to be a stepping stone and launch pad for budding talent, he said. The celebrity cyclists participating include Alexi Grewal, an Indian-American who won an Olympic Gold Medal in road cycling in 1984 and Lt Col Dr Srinivas Gokulnath, India’s first RAAM finisher (Race Across America; 5,000 km in 11 days, 18 hrs), he said.