Tour de France is the only event that comes to mind when you think of cycling. But it is the Trans-Siberian Extreme (TSE) race that is measured to be the most difficult cycle race around the globe. Till September 2018, no Asian had ever finished on the podium but it was Dr Amit Samarth from Nagpur pedalled his way through the competition and created history. Before completing the TSE, Samarth had already completed the Race Across America. Amit Samarth at Red Bull Trans Siberian Extreme
He once was an overweight kid and lived an inactive lifestyle. The journey started when Naveen John got introduced to collegiate cycling when he was pursuing his Bachelors in Electrical Engineering at Purdue University, USA. While in college, every weekend, Naveen and his mates would drive across the mid-western USA, load their bikes in a car and move off to race the collegiate cycling calendar of events. In 2012, after wrapping up USA and weighing options between a full-time job back home in India, he picked a third option. It was not other than cycling. Fast forward to the end of 2014, he won gold in Indian National Games. From that, he never looked back and won many laurels around the world. Below is a video of Naveen John going beyond limits
An army doctor by profession and cyclist by choice. This man has pedalled 3,000 miles, across 12 states and climbed 1,70,000 vertical feet, to become the first Indian to complete Race Across America (RAAM). From mild regions on the Pacific Coast to the furnace-like Mojave Desert, the cyclists pass through dry Arizona, struggle through cold mountain passes in Colorado and windy plains in central America. He once quoted, “I have been an ultra cyclist since 2009. The distance is what has kept me going. When I would complete 150 km, I thought to myself, why not 200 km… why not 300 km? I wanted to challenge myself to do things I had never done before.” Gokulnath is also the first Indian to complete arguably the world’s toughest cycling race. Below is his race across America as an Indian solo rider
The 25-year-old Sreedhar Savanur from Karnataka is among India’s best sprinters. He is considered as leading Indian cyclists and has been champion for many years. The champ represented India at the Commonwealth Games 2014 Glasgow, Scotland. Sreedhar belongs to a family of farmers but that did not let him shed his dreams of playing for his country. He has bagged nine gold, five silver and six bronze medals in cycling. The Karnataka State Government has bestowed him the Eklavya Award, the highest recognition of Karnataka State Government in the year 2013. He had been a racing champion for three years on a trot and works for the Railways to support his family.
Sounds like a European name? But he is one of the famous Indian cyclists. Esow Alben created history on the very next Independence Day of India in 2018, by winning India’s first junior cycling World Cup silver medal in the men’s Keirin event of the UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships held in Aigle, Switzerland. Surprisingly, it was his first major feat on foreign soil. Hailing from Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the cyclist already has a pool of achievements to his name.
The 19-year-old cyclist has overseen great runs in the Asian Championships as well as triumphs in the 2018 Cottbuser Sprint Cup 2, GP Brno Track Cycling competitions. The young Indian also earned the No.1 ranking in the Junior Sprint category which made him the first Indian to reach the top spot.
