Khammam Cycling Club promotes environmental protection, healthy living

Khammam Cycling Club, under the motto ‘Pedal for the planet’, promotes cycling, running, and planting saplings. Members recently completed long-distance Audax rides, including a 400 km BRM and the Dhanushkodi 600 BRM, India’s largest endurance cycling event

Khammam: With the motto ‘Pedal for the planet’, Khammam Cycling Club (KCC) has been promoting cycling as a means for environmental protection and a healthy living.

The club, formed by cycling enthusiasts last year, was registered this July. It has around 35 members. Dr K Mahendra Kumar is its president, divisional forest officer U Koteshwara Rao is the vice president, and Anudeep acts as treasurer.

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Speaking to Telangana Today, Koteshwara Rao informed that in addition to promoting cycling, the club is also engaged in running and spreading green cover by planting saplings. Activities are being conducted to promote the use of cycles for urban commuting.

Research shows that cycling helps maintain physical fitness, reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, and improve lung function. The club members have been taking part in long-distance rides organised under the aegis of Audax India Randonneurs (AIR) frequently.

AIR, the all-India organisation of randonneurs recognised by Audax Club Parisien (ACP), instituted in 1904 in France, conducts and oversees BRMs in accordance with ACP rules and guidelines, Koteshwara Rao said.

A randonneur is a cyclist who has completed a 200 km ride event called a randonnee (a brevet). Audax events, also called brevets, are characterised by their emphasis on endurance and self-sufficiency.

Seven riders from Khammam finished a 400 km Brevets de Randonneurs Mondiaux (BRM) from Khammam-Hyderabad-Khammam organised last month. KCC has around 15 randonneurs who completed 200 km rides, while six super randonneurs completed 1200 km events.

Dr Mahendra Kumar, Koteshwara Rao, Anudeep, Vasireddy Vasu, A R Rao, Nagaraju A, Jyoti Prakash, and Regalla Gopi from KCC finished the Dhanushkodi 600 BRM, which kick-started on September 19.

The three-day, 40-hour BRM from Trichy to Dhanushkodi is India’s biggest randonneuring spectacle, hosted annually by Trichy Randonneurs, which witnessed participation of over 300 riders from more than 25 cities.

Sharing his experience during the ride, Koteshwara Rao said, “The ride was very tough; we had to face scorching sun, strong headwinds, and heavy rains. We continued the ride wearing raincoats so as not to waste time and finally reached Dhanushkodi, the last land of India.”