TOUR DE CHATTISGARH

Breaking taboos.

By Veloscope

July 1^st, 2018

the unknown.

It's different. The ground realities always are, either for good or for the bad. So how does a four days cycle tour with family and friends that takes you through and deep into the naxalite affected red corridor sound?

the difference.

It seems crazy considering the long history of uneasiness and turmoil in the Chattisgarh region and it would indeed be insane to even think about it a few years back from now, yet here we are, the tour behind us and only thing that got anyone worried throughout the tour was the fact that it was only going to last 4 days.

the capital.

A historically rich city with it's exsistence dating way back to the 9th century, Raipur now is on a mission to turn itself into smart city and is doing an exceptional job of it. The tour flagged off at the capital city and the very first morning at Marine Drive is where the cliches started disappearing. Clean roads, dustbins implied, beautiful murals on the buildings and an exclusive cycle lane!! Talk about starting a journey with big smiles all around.

the icon.

July 29, 1984, Men's Road Race, Los Angeles Olympics.

There are 20 kilometers to go in the 190 kms. race, when Alexi decides to make the famous/infamous breakthrough from the peloton, he manages to get away from the lead group but is soon caught by the Canadian favourite Steve Bauer with around 10kms. to go. They ride together without aggression and away from the rest, till it's the final sprint time. Crowd goes into a frenzy and in what remains one of the greatest final showdown of all times in Olympics history, Alexi Grewal goes around Steve and beats the Canadian darling to give USA the first and only Cycling Olympic Gold Medal.

January 2018, 34 years later, Alexis Grewal is in India and no way was Cycling Safari letting go of a chance to enroll him in (Big thumbs up for that!!). It's not often if not never that one gets to be in the company of an Olympic Gold Medalist, forget cycling with them for full four days.

Four days with the icon himself, where you get to ride, discuss, share and experience the tour with him, it's literally a once in a lifetime thing to do. Just for this opportunity itself, the tour would have been a success, but of course, it had a plethora of things for the participants.

time to rock n roll.

Day 1 and the wheels get in motion. First day was all on the open highway roads with the cyclists covering 82 kms. on the route to reach the historical village of Sirpur, located along the river Mahanadi. Flat route and only highway winds to tackle on the day, it was the perfect starter to the tour, the city vibes were left behind as the riders hit the lesser crowded village roads.

Sirpur village is an archaeological heaven, possessing Buddhist, Hindu and Jain temples and monasteries dating back all the way to 5th century, collectively called the Sirpur Group of Monuments. The site made for a quiet and peaceful evening spent, as the structures and remains mesmerized.

the ancestors.

RIVER MAHANADI GETS PAINTED.

the festivites.

The night, after a day of riding in hot conditions, had everyone in for a surprise. Set up by the bonfire, a music and dance spectacle presented by the local tribes of Sirpur made for a beautiful note to end the night. The beautiful stories told through dance, live music and plays, something we have lost touch with over the years of digitization of art. Live art of any kind still remains the purest form of it and the capabilities it has to draw reactions out of people are unparalleled.

day 2- back on the saddle.

COMPETITIVE segment.

The overall 'challenge yourself and have fun' element of the tour was punctuated with the challenging competitive segment on the highway. It works as a great way to push oneself and also check yourself against the other riders on the tour, specially since the scale of riding expertise varied from a casual hobbyist to, well, an Olympic gold medallist.

SAY HI!

SIT BACK, BREATHE.

As the proud younger brother of Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh has hospitality as inheritance. The Tour De Satpura participants were spoiled by the hospitality and the destinations MP had to provide and they along with the first timers on the tour would agree that Chattisgarh didn't just exceed expectations with the locations and hospitality, it blew them away.

early morning- GANGREL- DAY 3.

The most beautiful morning of the tour. The starting time was relaxed, no early morning ride this day, everyone had the morning to themselves and if any place deserves time it certainly was this one. This is where the tour entered the second leg, with wide open highways and the traffic gave way to the countryside roads and the greens.

the fall collection.

Once the tour set foot into the interiors of the state leaving behind the long highways the whole demography changed. The endless sweeping highways gave way to the twists and the turns of the forests and the warm air quickly got substituted by the pleasant fresh breezes.

the roadside celebrities.

the mammoth.

The journey is always more important than the destination but when the destination is so overwhelming, it does make a strong case for itself.

Ever since the tour began all the major excitement was to leave behind the city and witness what is termed as the Niagra falls of India, The Chitrakote Waterfall. And did it drop all the jaws together or what?! Even in the winters in barely it's powress it is a spectacle to witness.

the last day.

Preparing for the red corridor.

Chattisgarh has had been in a constant fight with the naxal situation for years now, which has affected the state in all spheres and tourism is one of them. The state however is in a constant recovery and growth mode addressing the situtation from multiple spheres to make an effective stand. The education, transport, roads, electricity, employment and general facilities have been improving at a radical rate over the past few years to engage and educate the common and the tribal population, which empowers them to be on the right side of the cause. The results are for everyone who visits the state to see, it is vastly different from what's vaguely heard or seen. It is indeed what their tourism tagline says - Full of surprises.

the red corridor.

The last ride of the tour going into the Jagdaplur Forest Reserve to the famous Kotumsar caves was the most challenging terrain of the tour. The area being highly sensitive, a cycling tour passing through it had never been allowed or attempted before. The group was cordoned by commandos and forest officials to ensure safety and let the riders enjoy what is an amazing experience through the jungle's terrain. Off roading on the tour- check!

underworld

The Kotumsar Caves

one life to travel.

The tour did exactly what it started off wanting to do and then some more. The bravery to attempt and successfully complete the tour in an area which needs as much lime light as possible for the right reasons and the reasons are in abundance. Two thumbs up for everyone from the organizers who had the vision to initiate this, the participants who trusted them and were ofcourse rewarded with an exceptional cycling tour and not so usual family time, the tireless crews seemingly on steroids to go non stop behind the scene for 4 days straight and 400 kilometers. More such initiatives needed, please!