India’s longest bicycle ride, the 900 km BSA Tour of Nilgiris to be flagged off

Bangalore, 14 December 2009: The BSA Tour of Nilgiris, India’s longest organized bicycle ride, will be flagged off on 16 December, 6 to 7 am, from the Koramangala Indoor Stadium Lawns. The flag off to the prestigious tour will happen at the hands of The Hon'ble Sports Minister of Karnataka, Sri Goolihatti D. Shekhar. Dr D Raghuram, President of TI Cycles of India, will preside over the flag off. The flag off is open to everyone.

The BSA Tour of Nilgiris is a 900+km, 8-day cycling tour with 70 participants that include 60 men and 10 women. Mr Bhaskar Rao, Commissioner for Transport & Road Safety, Government of Karnataka is one of the more prominent participants in the rigorous 900 km bicycle ride. BSA Tour of Nilgiris passes through Bangalore, Mysore, Hassan, Mercara, Irupu, Sultanbathery and Ooty. It is a first-of-its-kind-in-India sporting event and is a spectacular tour of southern Indian heritage, culture, cuisines and its people. This is the second edition of the highly successful tour.

Leading the tour will be Bangalore-based designer from the Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology, Vijay Sharma, who has specially handcrafted an eco-friendly bamboo bicycle. Sharma will lead the 70 riders on the BSA Tour of Nilgiris as a symbol of the effort the 70 riders will make to encourage cycling and adopt means of transport that has a lower carbon impact on the environment. Sharma will gift the bicycle to the organizers of the BSA Tour of Nilgiris (www.bsatourofnilgiris.com).

Vijay Sharma with the handcrafted BSA Tour of Nilgiris bamboo bicycle. Picture by PeeVeeThe BSA Tour of Nilgiris is an initiative of the Bangalore-based not-for-profit bicycle advocacy group RideACycle Foundation. Said Ravi Ranjan, Managing Trustee of the RideACycle Foundation, “The BSA Tour of Nilgiris is an effort to send out a message that cycling is fun, environment-friendly and healthy.”

Said Dr D Raghuram , President of TI Cycles of India, whose brand BSA is the the title sponsor of the tour, “Cyclist in India do not have many opportunities to test and challenge themselves. The BSA Tour of Nilgiris offers them the unique opportunity to cycle 900 km in a safe and secure manner while experiencing the spectacular bio-diversity of the Nilgiris. And it is fitting that they enjoy this on a bicycle – that has zero impact on the environment.”

The BSA Tour of Nilgiris is supported by BSA, a brand of TI Cycles of India. TI Cycles of India is a part of Tube Investments of India (TII), a flagship company of the USD 3.14 billion Murugappa Group.

Murugappa Group is one of India's leading business conglomerates. Market leaders in diverse areas of business including Engineering, Abrasives, Finance, General Insurance, Cycles, Sugar, Farm Inputs, Fertilizers, Plantations, Bio-products and Nutraceuticals, its 29 companies have manufacturing facilities spread across 13 states in India. The organization fosters an environment of professionalism and has a workforce of over 32,000 employees. The Group has forged strong joint venture alliances with leading international companies like DBS Bank, Mitsui Sumitomo, Foskor, Cargill and Groupe Chimique Tunisien has consolidated its status as one of the fastest growing diversified business houses in India.

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