At TFN we get pampered both on and off the bike! The Sterling Wayanad is a lovely resort and we got to stay here two days this year because the day two ride took us to Chembra Peak some 42km from the resort and back again making it an 84km ride on some pretty rolling terrain.
Since it is a shorter ride, we started at 8am instead of the usual 7am start. There was still a nip in the air as we started riding through the narrow country roads. We rode through Sultanbatheri and turned off towards Nellarchal lake with some gorgeous views!
I was riding with Badri Narayan for a bit towards SS 1. Badri has a long relationship with the Tour of Nilgiris. He was a volunteer at the tour in 2015 and 2016. This year he came back to TFN to experience what it is like to be riding the tour while experiencing the amazing hospitality that he was part of delivering in the past.
He says just two days into the tour he already understands why the riders love it so much and plans to make TFN a regular part of his year end plans. He has been doing triathlons of late and cycling being the biggest leg of most triathlons he wants to get better at cycling to improve his tri performances.
Chembra Peak CS!
After a quick refill at SS1, we rode towards Meppadi where the competitive segment for the day started. The competitive segment for the day was a 6.2km climb with about 320m of elevation gain to Chembra Peak. This is a climb I have never done before. It is amazing that even after 11 years, I get to ride new routes in TFN. Kudos to the organizers who keep finding amazing routes.
For the CS, I decided to start a bit after Jonas who was the close behind me in my age category and see if I can catch him. After day 1 Jonas was 51 seconds behind me and I wanted to make sure he doesn’t gain any time on me. Dr. Rahul Kalia was 5 seconds ahead of me after day 1.
While TFN is a tour at its very core, these short race segments bring an extra dimension of fun to the already fun tour. Riders can choose to not take part in the race segments and continue riding at their own pace or decide to explore and experience the adrenaline rush of pushing against the clock. All the race segments are individual time trials and are essentially race against the clock and the self.
The initial km or so was flat and a bit downhill as well. It was on narrow tea estate roads that were not exactly in pristine condition. While the rush of chasing someone ahead was fuelling my effort, I was very conscious of staying safe and not overcooking the corners etc.
Half way through the climb I began seeing Jonas ahead and it took more than a km for me to close the gap. When I got near him, although I was suffering, I ensured to surge ahead to go past him. I wanted to put in a few more seconds so that I have a bigger buffer going into the 3rd CS.
Our local guide from Sweden: Jonas is an amazing guy and a good friend. We ride together all the time in Bangalore. This Swedish national has been living in Bangalore for the last 4 years and hates riding on the highways. So, he keeps exploring new country roads around Hesaragatta near where he stays and has a repository of amazing riding routes in the area. He became our tour guide in our own backyard in Bangalore when it comes to some pretty riding routes.
As I got closer to the finish, I kept seeing Harsh Dillon a few metres ahead but I could not close the gap to go past him. We made it across the finish line within a couple of seconds of each other.
Private Pool Party Near A Pretty Lunch Spot!
As we waited for lunch to get ready, Anwar who had set up an MTB riding course there asked if we would like to take a cold dip in a natural pool.
We followed him to the beautiful waterfall and a small natural pool of water. Most of us went in with our bibs.
By the time we returned after having fun at the waterfall, the yummy lunch was ready!
Post lunch as I started to ride back, I hit a pothole and my tubeless tire went flat with a sidewall cut. Thankfully the mech support team of the tour, Crankmeister Bicycle Works team were close behind to help. We ended up putting a tube in so that I could ride back.
GC Results after Day 2!
In women’s category LBB teammates Nandini Sharma and Priya Krishnan are 3 seconds apart from each other and way ahead of every one else.
Legs were a bit better today and I managed to put in some time on Rahul and Jonas. While I’m also 3rd overall, I’m sure Rithvik would move up a place or two with the next one.
In 35-45 category, Howard Miller is leading with excellent rides on both days. He’s also second overall behind Joel.
Joel is having a blast with some amazing rides. He tops in under 35 and overall by an insurmountable margin.
What’s Ahead?
Tomorrow, we head to Ooty. Since the forest office refused permission to ride via Kalahatty because of animal movement, we will ride via Gudalur. This is the side we used to ride till 2012. Kalahatty climb started in 2013 and has been a staple ever since. But, now we are back on the longer route but easier way to Ooty. A 5km section of the climb will be a CS towards KOM/QOM competition.