Karnataka: 48-year-old cyclist dies of cardiac arrest

BAGALKOT: A 48-year-old amateur cyclist who had clocked nearly 40km on Sunday morning died after suffering cardiac arrest during a ride from Kerur to Bagalkot in north Karnataka.
Vinod S Patil’s Sunday ride came a day after he posted his cycling feat on Facebook with a caption: “Completed 70km, but missed the century.” He had planned to hit the 100km-mark on Sunday, but scaled it down by half.
Vinod was son of former Bilagi MLA, late SS Patil, and worked as IT manager at Bilagi district co-operative bank. He was an active member of Bagalkot Bicycle Club for the past three years.
After downscaling the 100km target for Sunday, he and some of his club friends decided to pedal to Kerur, 25km from Bagalkot. “We stopped for tea after covering 25kms. After the break, we cycled for 15km when Vinod suffered cardiac arrest. Dr Girish Naik, part of the team, administered first aid. We rushed him to government hospital in Kerur in a car, but he was declared brought dead,” Vijay Doddamani, also part of the team, told TOI. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.
Before joining the club, Vinod had participated in several trekking and adventure camps. His average cycling speed was 16kmph, he added.
Vinod, who graduated in civil engineering, kept his distance from politics though his father was a lawmaker, his friend Siddu Bagashetti said.