Cyclists from all over the world will fight it out at the Tour de Mumbai today.
Whenever foreign athletes visited the country for cricket or any other event in the past, they raised questions on the quality of food. But the situation has changed over the years and now the focus of the sportspersons — visiting India — has shifted towards the security concerns, which is giving the organisers a few sleepless nights.
For the record, the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) had to be shifted to South Africa in 2009 after government didn’t guarantee security of the players.
The same question was raised by foreign cyclists taking part in the Tour de Mumbai — India’s first ever pro cycling event — which will be held at Bandra Reclamation on Sunday. But luckily for the organizers, none of the cyclists who had confirmed their participations well in advance, pulled out.
“People in the city may have got over the 26/11 incident. But it is still fresh in the minds of people coming from abroad. During my first visit to India, I was also circumspect about coming here,” said Australian Victor Popov, the international cyclists’ liaison officer.
“When I approached the cyclists, the first question they asked was about the security. But luckily none of the teams or cyclists rejected the invitation,” Popov added.
With the issue being taken care of, the organisers are looking forward to an action-packed event.
The main attraction will be the 100-kilometre men’s elite race which will see 12 international teams vying for the top honours along with two Cycling Federation of India teams and a Mumbai Livestrong All Star team. A purse of $50,000 will be up for grabs.
Team Saxo Bank is the clear favourite to walk away with the sum.
They have the likes of Start O’Grady and Baden Cooke of Australia in their ranks. Both of them have vast experience on the ProTour circuit and are known for their sprinting skills. While O’Grady has been a runner-up on four occasions in point’s classification (Green Jersey) of Tour de France, Cooke won it in 2003.
With most of the riders considering the course to be flat, the duel between the sprinters will be a treat to watch, especially in the closing stages of the race where the riders are expected to touch speeds of 70 to 80 kmph.
O’Grady’s and Cooke’s domination may be challenged by Jann Kirsipuu, who retired from cycling in 2006, but participates in races in his native Estonia. He too is known for his sprinting skills.
Besides the main race, the other attraction will be 50-kilometre race for the national cyclists wherein teams from 22 states will lock horns.
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