How Indian ultra cyclists are preparing for the Deccan Cliffhanger
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. As a four-time winner of the Deccan Cliffhanger, Kabir Rachure knows what it takes to ace the 643km ultra cycling race from Pune to Goa. But the 11th edition of the race, which flags off on 30 November, features a new route and holds a number of unknownseven for experienced riders like him.
The race was previously known for three significant climbs on the stretch between Pune and Belgaum. The downhills that followed offered relief for the riders and gave them enough time to recover before pedalling on the flats again. This year, the elevation gain of the new course is 5,907m—about 1,000m lower than the last race—over a lot of rolling terrain as compared to longer climbs.
The route heads towards Baramati and onward to Karad, before climbing the Anuskura Ghat and descending to Rajapur. After entering Goa, it runs past Banda and Sanquelim, and finishes at Bogmalo Beach. “Riders will miss the benefits previously gained on the descents and will have to pedal a lot more on the whole.
At the same time, the descent from Anuskura Ghat is quite technical, so it makes little sense to speed up on that section. So all in all, it’s going to be a lot slower than the previous races," Rachure says. Last year, ultra cyclist Kanchan Bokil finished second in the self-supported women’s category.
She will be back this year alongside a crew, which is going to be an entirely new experience for her. “All my rides so far have been on my own. It took me a while to get used to being taken care of by my team during the training rides.
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