NASHIK: Sunday morning (6 am), a 200 km Cycling Brevet was flagged off from Mumbai Naka. 62 participants had registered for Centenary Celebration Brevet on the occasion of Completion of 100 years of BRM culture. A total of 53 riders completed the ride successfully in specified time, while 5 riders did not report to start line, so 57 riders started the ride.
Riders from Sinnar, Sangamner, Jalgaon, Mumbai and other places came especially for this Centenary Brevet Event, informed organisers. “The previous night it rained heavily till almost 2 am and I got worried about the event. But fortunately as I woke up at 4.30 am, it had stopped raining. Got ready and reached the start line at 5.30 am, as I was to oversee the event and was was going to ride 200km, by 5.30 am most of the riders had reached and Yeshwant Mudholkar was taking attendance and signature of all riders” said Dr Mahendra Mahajan.
We then checked everyone’s bikes and riders for all safety equipment- helmet, front and rear light, reflective straps, and tags attached to bike with rider no, emergency contact and blood group mentioned on them. The riders were flagged off at 6 am by NCF President Rajendra Wankhede and Treasurer Ravindra Dusane. It was a pleasant and cloudy morning for first four hours. At around 10 am it started raining and continued till the end time with heavy rains in Ghoti- Igatpuri section.
The road tar is practically in existent with potholes and paver blocks on Igatpuri bypass, where riders had to very watchful and had to struggle maintaining balance. Also there was dense fog in small section at Igatpuri, informed riders.
The riders also said that they rode in small groups, with whom their speed matched and helped each others in fixing flat tires, meal breaks together and sharing food. Everyone has different sets of challenges, physical or mental, and they overcome to finish the ride.
Most participants were middle aged from different professional backgrounds. Yeshwant Mudholkar handled responsibility as Ride Responsible, along with Devidas Aher and Sandip Parab.
