It never rains, it pours. True.
Never before in the history of Indian cycling, did we see so many individuals and teams bagging so many medals in a single day. If Srinivas and Amit brought glory to the country yesterday by their individual performances, today it was the turn of the 4-member team from Nasik to put an icing on the cake.
This noon, Team Sahyadri Cyclists from Nasik completed the Race Across America (RAAM) in the 4-men category in 8 days, 11 hours and 12 minutes. Sporting a tri-coloured sports jersey, Dr. Rajendra Nehete (Plastic Surgeon), Dr. Ramakant Patil (Paediatrician), Dr. Sandeep Shewale (Orthopaedic Surgeon) and Mr. Pankaj Marlesha were all smiles as they climbed on the podium to receive their individual medals from the race organisers. They were a picture of humility too.
Sahyadri Cyclistsโthe team named itself after the famous mountain range in Western Maharashtraโ also began their race from the Pacific Coast. They endured the Mojave Desert, arid Arizona, freezing Colorado, windy Kansas, and overpowered the steep Appalachian Mountains in West Virginia and Pennsylvania before they reached the finish line at the Atlantic Coast.
Dr. Mahendra (Dental Surgeon) and Dr. Hitendra Mahajan (Anaesthesiologist) from Nashik were the team mentorsโoffering the team tips and tricks on how to conquer the race.
Mahajan brothers had won the two-men category last year, marking the first Indian team finish at the RAAM. Dr. Parikshit Gogate, an Ophthalmologist from Nasik also served as the member of the crew.
Our cyclists have aptly shown that it is possible to pedal the wheels of success if one has grit and passion for doing so.
Interestingly, of the eight cyclists who won a medal in RAAM, as many as seven are doctors!