Can Vinod Punamiya cycle from Delhi to Mumbai in 30 hours?

It may be hard to believe, but Mumbai-based Vinod Punamiya claims he can cover the 1485-km distance from Delhi to Mumbai on his cycle in JUST 30 HOURS! Pedal-pusher: Vinod Punamiya on his bike in Mumbai last night. Pic/SAMEER MARKANDE Three years ago, at the age of 50, Punamiya, who hails from Dombivli, shocked the nation and registered his name in the Limca Book of Records when he cycled from Pune to Dombivli (distance of 140 km) in just two hours, 14 minutes, 14 seconds ” 20 minutes faster than the Deccan Queen train. "Ive been cycling for the last 30 years. It's been my passion and I've always dreamt of doing something extra-ordinary to make my country proud," said Punamiya of his next endeavour. The 53-year-old cycling enthusiast, who will begin his journey from India Gate in New Delhi on February 19 at 7 am, is confident of touching the Gateway of India in Mumbai by 1pm the next day. "Once I start my race from Delhi at 7am, I'm confident of reaching Jaipur by 11 am (distance of 272 kms), Ahmedabad by 1 am (another 753 kms) and Surat (another 260 kms) by 7am. Once, I enter Maharashtra, I will face a number of ghats, besides the traffic in Mumbai that will slow me down. But, I'm confident of achieving my target," said Punamiya. "I practice by riding daily for about 400-500 kms between Kolhapur and Satara. This has increased my stamina and confidence that I can ride 1485 kms non-stop," said Punamiya. Punamiya has previously covered the distance between Mumbai and Delhi in four days when he rode in memory of the 26/11 victims two years ago. "Back then, it was in memory of the martyrs, but this time it will be a different challenge. It will be a lot faster," assured Punamiya. A Global Positioning System (GPS) device, fitted to Punamiya's cycle, will calculate the distance and keep track of his record-breaking journey.

Elia wins stage one of Mumbai Cyclothon

Viviani E Elia of Italian team Liquigas today won the stage I of the Tour de Mumbai and also bagged both the yellow and blue Jerseys for mannaging best timing and most points respectively in Nashik. RadioShack's Robbie McEwen finished second, followed by Bonitas ride's Tyler Day.

The Elite International Men's race saw 108 top cyclists, with three other countries sending in their national cycling teams, riding across the 175.5 km route. Sabu Gangar from Karnataka won the Elite National Race category (63kms), that saw the participation by 68 cyclists handpicked by the Cycling Federation of India from across 22 states.

Sachin Kumar from Delhi was the first runner-up while Sridhar Savanur from Karnataka was the second runner-up. The second leg of the international race, offering USD 50,000 to the winner, will be held in Mumbai on February 13. The score card and the point ranking is based on UCI's international ranking system. David McQuaid, Race Director, 'Tour de Mumbai I & II' said, "It's an amazing experience to have world's best riders in India and 'Tour de Mumbai' taking another giant leap. It was exciting to see a photo finish to the stage I of the race. I am looking forward to a more competitive second leg."

"It's a proud moment for Nashik to flag off 'Tour de Mumbai I' and see such a phenomenal start towards Mumbai Cyclothon. It was overwhelming to watch participation across categories across International, national and among the cycling enthusiasts," said Maharashtra Public Works minister Chaggan Bhujbal. The two cyclothons are being held jointly by Swiss-based world cycling body, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the Cycling Federation of India (CFI) in partnership with ID Sports -- a sports management firm. -PTI

After Tour de France now its Tour de Mumbai

World Cycling body chief McQuaid says it won't be long before an Indian cyclist makes it big

World Cycling Body (UCI) chief Pat McQuaid believes the sport of cycling has huge potential in India, and with a little help from the government, Indian cyclists can make it big in the sport.

"I have seen some Indian cyclists race and to be honest, cycling in India is at a very low level now as it has been for many years. That's the reason I am here to boost the cyclists. I will try and talk to some key people and ministers and get some support to raise the standard of cycling in India," McQuaid told rk-sports yesterday.

He was speaking on the sidelines of the announcement for the second edition of ID sports-organised Mumbai Cyclothon, "Tour de Mumbai" scheduled to be held in Nashik (175km) tomorrow and Mumbai (108km) on February 13.

Teams like RadioShack from USA and Liquigas from Italy are set to feature in the race, the Mumbai leg for which will begin and end at MET, Bandra with participants set to ride across the Bandra Worli sea link.

Besides the professionals, around 1000 participants are expected in the Amateur Ride (28km), Corporate Challenge Ride (15km), Green Ride (15km) and Kids Ride (3km).

"We want to develop cycling in different parts of the world. India is a huge country. Economically too, it is one of the strongest countries in the world and with such a huge population, I believe many have the potential to do well in this sport. In years to come, surely there will be many Indian cyclists taking part in major cycling tournaments like the Tour de France," said McQuaid.