Cyclists and enthusiasts living in and around Bengaluru have a unique chance to participate in an official cycling race on Saturday that will end on a hilltop. The race, a part of the Bangalore Bicycle Championships and is the 10th race of the season.
The 112.3 km race will be flagged off at 6am on Saturday by Chikkaballapur MLA K Sudhakar from Century Sports Village on the Bengaluru-Hyderabad Highway and will end in the Nandi Hills.
Speaking about the importance about the event, Dr Arvind Bhateja, Spectrum Racing said, “The Bangalore bicycle championships - Nandi Epic race is one of the most anticipated cycling races in the entire nation. It draws cyclists from all over the country who fiercely fight it out for the top spots on the podium in all categories.”
“What makes this race so exciting and sought after is the challenge of the hilltop finish on the top of Nandi Hills after riding nearly 105 kms on the highway prior to the climb, which makes it an epic battle of attrition amongst the contenders. Even for those who are not contesting the podium, there is a battle being fought within themselves to overcome their own fears and improve on their performances from previous years,” he added.
A smaller race of 68.7 km will be held for amateurs, women and Under-18 categories. Both the races will start at 11:30 am. For the safety of the cyclists, automobiles won't be allowed on the road leading to the finish
“With the ever-increasing number of travellers and tourists flocking to Nandi Hills, the safety of cyclists, trekkers and climbers is a major concern,” observed Dr K Sudhakar, MLA Chikkaballapur.
He said he had prevailed upon the authorities to keep Saturdays and Sundays exclusively for cyclists, climbers, joggers and other fitness enthusiasts by banning
movement of automobiles. “The move has received enthusiastic response from the local people and all visitors and cycling events are part of the campaign,” he said and hoped that it would become a major attraction soon.
This race comes just after the local MLA had made Nandi Hills completely cycle-friendly zone during weekends between 5 am and 9 am. Cyclists, joggers and other fitness enthusiasts had queued up in big numbers for the first-ever mega cycling event on July 1 and 2, 2017.