Army officer eyes cycling glory in US

Nashik: An aerospace medicine specialist from Nashik is gearing up for the cycling expedition of his life - Race Across America (RAAM).
Lt-Col. Srinivas Gokulnath, a senior medical officer with the artillery centre at Nashik Road camp, is the only Indian among 22 cyclists from across the the world in the 18-49-year male solo category to attempt the ride from the West coast to the East coast of USA to be held in June.The total distance is 5,000 km and the riders are expected to complete it in a maximum of 12 days.
"It's a tough ask. A participant has to pedal for almost 22 hours a day to cover the distance in time. Only two Indians have attempted it solo before. It's not just a test of physical endurance, but also mental toughness. Srinivas is equipped to handle both," said Niranjan Upasani, the chief of Srinivas's eight-member crew.
For 36-year-old Srinivas, cycling is second nature. He was born in a middle-class family in Bengaluru and the circumstances required him to cycle long distances everyday. "What started as a necessity steadily turned into a hobby. A national record of cycling 4,000km from Leh to Kanyakumari in almost 16 days in 2014 was the peak. It earned me a place in the Limca Book of Records," said Srinivas, who crowdfunded to raise Rs 25 lakh required for the race.
This is not his first expedition, he finished third in the Deccan Cliffhanger held here in November 2014 and qualified for RAAM."I race to inspire people around me to push themselves to the extremes and explore the inner being and treasure the health they are gifted with," he said.
RAAM is one of the toughest endurance events in the world. Over 1,750 cyclists have completed RAAM since its first edition in 1982.