TEAM HERALD
sports@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Prashant Tikde of Pune and Kartik Padmanabhan of Delhi lived up to their reputation as they emerged victorious in their respective categories of the first edition of the Giant Starkenn Deccan Cliffhanger – Pune Goa Cycle Race of 643kms on Monday.
Prashant Tikde reign supreme in the Above-50 category whereas Delhi’s Kartik Padmanabhan clinched the top honours in under-50 (18 to 49) category.
The victory was special for Tidke, who showed his grit and determination by competing in the race and winning it despite having two broken ribs.
In the women’s category, United Kingdom’s Shusanah Pillinger finished the race in record time. Shusanah clocked 26:49:22.
In the men’s team event, Pune’s Wheels on Fire emerged champions in under-50 category (35-50). The team comprising of Durga Prasad Pawar, Santosh Patil, Abhay Suryavanshi and Sachin Sharangpani clocked 28:49:08.
Pune cyclist continued their dominance as Green Speed won in the men’s under-35 (18-34) segment team. The team comprised of Apurv Verma, Rakesh Patel and Indraneel Guha. The team won by clocking 27:34:30. Keeping the winning momentum, the Pune women’s team won the women’s under-50 (35-49) title by clocking 29:39:58. The team was represented by Divya Tate, Ila Patil and Farhad Patel.
This race is the official qualifier for RAAM (Race Across America), the world’s toughest race. This was the very first time that RAAM qualifier took place in India.
