Riders cover 154 kms to reach Palakkad, Kerala from Ooty

· 700 kms covered since flag off from Bangalore on 16th December

· Riders to leave for Valaparai on 22

Kerala, December 21, 2015: 109 riders participating in the Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris reached Palakkad, Kerala after covering a distance of 154 kms from Ooty, Tamil Nadu. Riders crossed through the Kotagiri stretch on the sixth day of the Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris 2015.

On the fourth day of Indian terrain Tour of Nilgiris, Riders crossed the ‘King/Queen of the Mountains’ climb to Kalahatti - considered a ‘Hors Categorie’; something that is beyond categorization - in simple French cycling terms, one of the toughest climbs possible! The Kalahatti climb gains 1200mts of elevation in about 12 kms giving an average elevation gain of around 10 % with a few stretches going up to 15 % or more of gradient.

The Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris (TfN) 2015 was flagged off on Wednesday, 16th December from Shangri La, Palace Road, Bengaluru early morning by Guest of Honour, Sri. Bhaskar Rao, IPS, ADGP, Charath Narasimhan, CEO- Indian Terrain, Chief guest Shri K.J George, Minister for Bengaluru Development and Town Planning, GOK, Bangalore along with Mr. Sridhar Pabbisetty- Co-Founder, TFN and Jens Corder, General Manager- Shangrila Hotels. Riders have crossed the towns of Mysore, Madikeri, Sultan Bathery and Ooty in the last 5 days. Day 5, 20th December was a rest day in ooty.

Cyclicts will now pedal through the towns of Palakkad, Coimbatore and conclude the Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris at Pollachi on 23rd December.

In its eighth edition, Tour of Nilgiris has grown in stature and participation from across the globe. A total of 109 participants have been selected from over 500 applications received by the organizers to participate in the latest edition of India’s most scenic & endurance testing cycling tour. This year, the event is set to witness participants from Singapore, China, Nepal, Germany, Netherlands, USA, UK and India (the host country). Bollywood actor and Indian terrain brand ambassador, Randeep Hooda unveiled the official jerseys for riders on Tuesday 15, December at Bengaluru.

Participants of the Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris 2015 will ride through three wildlife sanctuaries - Bandipur National Park in Karnataka, Mudumalai National Park in the Nilgiris and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala. The Indian Terrain TFN is set to test the endurance, temperament, physical and mental strength of all participants. To add a dash of competitiveness, Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris has a mix of challenging climbs and flat courses at different stages, aimed at testing the riders’ craft and grit.

Organized by RideACycle Foundation (RAC-F), a not-for-profit advocacy organization, the event is aimed at promoting Cycling Tourism. Commenting on Indian Terrain TfN 2015, Sridhar Pabbisetty, Co-Founder, RAC-F, said, “With each passing year, the event has grown in stature and size as we see more and more participation from cyclists across the globe. Indian Terrain’s association with the event is set to take India’s premier cycling event to newer heights.”

According to Badrinath Sastry, Tour Director, Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris 2015, “Cycling as an fitness sport is fast catching the imagination and TfN circuit has put India on the global cycling map. Besides promoting cycling tourism, the tour owing to its format wherein there is a competitive section will go a long way in promoting cycling as adrenalin driven sport thereby attracting more enthusiasts.”

Dr. Arvind Bhateja best known as Captain of the Spectrum Racing cycling team along with his cousin Vivek Bhateja has already raised INR 10 lakh towards charitable program of Free Spine Surgery at Sita Bhateja Speciality Hospital. A total of INR 1.22 lakhs out of a target of INR 4 lakhs has been raised by riders towards charity, the list includes Iksha Foundation (Tanmaya and Anshuman) and Aditya Mehta Foundation (Gangadhar Baliga).

The CMD of Indian Terrain Fashions Ltd., Mr. Venky Rajgopal who is also participating at the Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris said to the fellow participants, “I wish every rider here the very best for the next 8 days and will do my bit to see that the “spirit of man”, the logo of Indian Terrain, propels each one of you to a wonderful and glorious finish. Ride safe!”

The participants a phenomenal mix of professionals, entrepreneurs, lawyers etc for whom cycling in a cool stylish activity which actualizes their true potential.

The winners of TFN 2015 will receive prizes worth INR 25,000 from Indian Terrain, a road bike from Firefox and other goodies from event partners.

Partner for the Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris 2015 include: Indian Terrain (Title sponsor), BASU (Strategic Partner), Sita Bhateja (Medical Partner), Firefox, TREK, Jayanth Probikers (Associate Sponsors), Heinrich (Apparel Partner), TVS and Solver Minds (GPS racking partners), Spectrum (Physiotherapy Partners), Hospitality Partner (Shangri La), Linger, Karcher (Prize Partners), Meraki ( Marketing & PR Partner).