The marathon 850-plus kms Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris 2015, a cycling event traversing across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, will kickstart from the city on Wednesday.
As many as 109 riders will be flagged off from here at 6.30 am, Sridhar Pabbisetty, Co-Founder of Tour of Nilgiris and Member of Ride A Cycle Foundation, told reporters here.
The participants will ride through three wildlife sanctuaries — Bandipur National Park in Karnataka, Mudumalai National Park in the Nilgiris and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, Pabbisetty said.
The tour will have a mix of challenging climbs and flat courses at different stages, aimed at testing the riders’ craft and grit, he said.
Pabbisetty said the Tour has grown in both popularity and stature across the globe.
This year, the event is set to witness participants from Singapore, China, Nepal, Germany, Netherlands, USA, UK and India, he said.
The Tour will witness four charity riders Gangadhar Balija, Vivek Bhateja, B P Than may and Anshuman Caprihan – supporting the social initiatives. They will raise funds during the competition, Pabbisetty said.
Responding to a query, actor Randeep Hooda, Brand Ambassador for Indian Terrain, said the popularity of cycling can grow if people support the sport.
The Indian Terrain along with the Tour of Nilgiris team will take the event to other five cities of Chennai, Hyderabad, Gurgaon, Chandigarh and Pune, where it will be called ‘Race to the Nilgiris’, Pabbisetty said.
There it will be a one-day event with two winners being awarded a free entry invite to the Tour of Nilgiris, he added.
The Indian Terrain, the leading men’s premium ‘sportswear’ brand in the country, partnered with the creators of the ‘Tour of Nilgiris’ and are the official Title Sponsors of the Tour of Nilgiris for the next five years.
Hooda unveiled the RiderJersey, besides declaring the tour open for 2015.