Tour of Nilgiris

The Tour of Nilgiris is a bicycle tour in India[1] organised by Veloindians.[1]

Tour of Nilgiris
Race details
DateDecember
RegionSouth India
English nameTour of Nilgiris
DisciplineRoad Bike, MTB, Hybrid
TypeEight Day Cyclosportive
OrganiserVeloIndians
Web sitetourofnilgiris.com
History
First edition2008 (2008)
Editions12 (as of 2019)

The tour has been held every year since 2008.[1] The aim of the tour is to promote cycling within the Nilgiris region passing through three Southern states of India Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and to revive the cycle culture by popularising cycle as a mode of transport for the twin benefits of easing traffic congestion and being environmental friendly.[1][2] The event caters for both Charity Riders, Recreational Riders and those looking to move into competitive professional cycling.[1]

The Kalhatty challenge

The hardest part of the tour is the famous and gruelling Kalhatty climb. 12 km of climbing gradients and 36 hairpin bends to gain an altitude of 1,230 m. The average elevation gain is around 10 per cent with a few stretches going up to 15 per cent gradient.

Kalhatti is considered a Hors catégorie climb, which in cycling terms means "something that is beyond categorisation". It is perhaps one of the toughest climbs possible in the sub continent.

Participation
Tour snapshot
Year Dates Distance Participation
2011[3] Dec 9 - Dec 16 860 km 70 Cyclists from 3 countries. 3 women riders. Cyclists from India, Italy and US.
2012[4] Dec 16 - Dec 23 860 km 85 Cyclists. 8 women riders.
2015[5] Dec 16 - Dec 23 876 km 109[6] cyclists from 8 countries. India, China, Germany, Nepal, Netherlands, Singapore, UK, and the USA.
2017[7] Dec 10 - Dec 17 1000 km 128 Cyclists from 8 countries. 18 international riders and 8 women riders. Cyclists were from India(110), Australia, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, Russia and the USA.
2018[8] Dec 9 - Dec 16 950 km 110 Cyclists from 13 countries. 29 international riders and 17 women riders. India (81), Denmark(7), USA(4), Australia(3), Germany(3), UK(3), Belgium(2), Canada(2), Austria(1), Greece(1), Malaysia(1), Philippines(1) and Poland(1).
2019 Dec 8 - Dec 15 850+ km 53 Cyclists including 7 Women Riders and 5 International Riders

References
  1. "Montra Tour of Nilgiris 2013 – The mother of all Indian cycling tours". thealternative.in. The Alternative. 7 December 2013. Retrieved 4 March 2014.
  2. "Tour of Nilgiris to pass through Mysore on Dec 16". Deccan Herald. Deccan Herald. Retrieved 6 December 2013.
  3. M. R, Subramani (12 December 2011). "Tour of Nilgiris to get tougher this year". The Hindu Businessline. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  4. "US cyclist wins first day 'Tour of Nilgiris'". The Deccan Herald. 16 December 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  5. "Tour of Nilgiris - cycling gaining fans especially in corporate world". The Economic Times. 29 December 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  6. "Indian Terrain Tour of Nilgiris cycling event from Wednesday". The Times of India. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  7. "Tour Of Nilgiris (TfN) Jersey Unveiled". The Star of Mysore. 9 December 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
  8. "Annual cycling event 'Tour of Nilgiris' draws 110 cyclists from across globe". The Hindu Businessline. 2 November 2018. Retrieved 24 September 2019.
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