Crank vol 5 issue 2 March 17 Digital

India’s only lifestyle bicycle magazine

Volume 5 Issue 2

KARENG / 2016 / 68421

March 2017

Rs. 100/-

Cyclist in Chief Brian Cookson Presidente UCI

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lusive M e Exc

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Track Extravaganza 37th ATCC Featured BROMPTON the Worlds best folding bike Ridley Riding into India

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InThisIssue CFINews Cyclist in Chief - Brian Cookson President, UCI Track Extravaganza

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IndustryNews SCOTT MVS Cycling Carnival RIDLEY - BE Tough Nieuwenhuis crowned U23 Cyclocross world champ

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ProCycling India on wheels in 10 days

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HealthWise Your childs sporting future - in her genes

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CityTalk Spin your life with SPINLIFE

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ShowCase BROMPTON: In India

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PlanetSaddle 20

© SYNCROS SA 2016 | PHOTOS: IAM CYCLING

Love is in the air — and on wheels

2016_AD_SYNCROS_IAM_TOURDEFRANCE_220x290_EN.pdf

CrankActive Give yourself wings

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ToyCentral Syncros - For the top athletes at the toughest race

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Editor’sNote

The CRANK with ProCycle Team Managing Editor and Publisher Vikram K Limsay Invitee editor Onkar Singh, Secretary General, CFI Bureau Operations Harkamal Sethi Edit Desk Dr. Meera Velankar Sumana Srivastava Creative and Design N. Chandru Contact editdeskcrank@procycle.in subscribecrank@procycle.in advertisecrank@procycle.in Expert Test Team Ignatius Chen Issue Contributors Dr. Amol Raut All Rights Reserved By ProCycle and Sports India Pvt. Ltd. Corporate Office and Showroom 226, 1st Main Road, Service Road Domlur 2nd Stage, Indira Nagar Bangalore – 560071 Tel: 080 41161902, +91 95380 66695 Website www.procycle.in Follow us on Facebook: @CrankwithProCycle https://www.facebook.com/CrankwithProCycle/ Cover Pic Brian Cookson Back Cover BROMPTON Printed By Print 2 Last Solutions

Dear Readers, It was a high point when I had a chance to interact with Brian Cookson President UCI. Aside from the fact that he heads the global governing body of the sport what struck me was his humble and affable persona. One can be assured that the sport is in the best hands. I am certain you will find excerpts from our chat interesting.

Curtain came down on the 37th Track Asia Cycling Championship. It was a supremely well organised event.Kudos to the CFI. Crank was a proud partner of the event.

Another great brand Ridley was launched this month and BROMPTON the worlds coolest folding bike made its debut in the country. It’s a great start to the year and we will keep you abrupt of the many interesting happenings in the world of cycling.

This is the valentine month and there is a lot that can happen and has happened on wheels! Read about the riding couples and their love of the wheel and on the wheel and lot more.

Keep reading and keep those comments coming in.

Ciao & #getoutandride!

Vikram K Limsay Managing Editor and Publisher

© Getty Images

CFINews

Cyclist in Chief

Brian Cookson, OBE

President, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI)

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t was an honor to catch up with the Chief himself on the sidelines of the 37th Asian Track Cycling Championship in New Delhi. His calm, affable and humble persona impressed all without exception. A man with over four decades of experience as a rider, official and as administrator and now at the helm of the world governing body of the sport, Cookson has a clear roadmap for the sport globally and especially for Asia which he finds very promising.

Our Managing Editor Vikram Limsay had an engaging chat with him in Delhi on wide ranging aspects such as future of sport in India, the effort that CFI is putting in and his mission critical objectives. We bring you excerpts from the interaction.

CRANK: About UCI Its vision & objectives? Your plans especially in the context of an emerging Asian interest.

Asia is a key region for the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) with important perspectives of development for cycling. We have recently signed a landmark agreement with China’s Wanda Sports.

This partnership includes a UCI WorldTour stage race, the Great Tour of Guangxi, which will run along a new women’s elite race.

In addition to other events, China will host a cycling centre that will serve as satellite to the UCI World Cycling Centre in Aigle, Switzerland. Asia is still at the forefront for hosting major UCI events such as the Track Cycling World Championships, organised by Hong Kong in April. Asia shows also a strong interest for off-road disciplines, like BMX, and all this excitement around our sport is supported by our three satellite centres in Japan, South Korea and since 2015, India, with its facility in New Delhi.

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CRANK: About the World Cycling Center in India? The philosophy, the plans for the future With the creation of this wonderful center, we are providing a huge boost for the growth and development of cycling in India and South Asia, ranging from talent identification to elite level coaching. The goals of the satellite include the establishment of a world-class team in time for the 2019 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games.

CRANK: About the Asian Track championship? Your vision and vies participating countries, coaches, organizing, support etc.

The Asian Track championship currently underway is a necessary step if India wants to establish itself as a regional super power around top cyclist like Deborah Herold. Regional events are the next level before the global stage of the World Championships and the Olympic Games. Indian riders need to win medals at the upcoming Asian Games and Championships to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. A qualification for the Olympics would make history for the country, which hasn’t seen any of its cyclists participating to the event for more than half a century.

CRANK: About CFI? Your comments on their activities and efforts as developing the sport Cycling Federation of India (CFI) has been a driving force in the recent developments of our sport in the region. Together with the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the CFI and the UCI WCC, our plans for the future are to see cycling making its presence felt among the most popular and successful sports in India and within the region.

CRANK: About India? Any possibilities of hosting world champion ship events?

Looking at the organizing prowess of India as seen this time and also in the past I see no reason why India can not host one of our world championship events. I am in talk with the secretary general Mr Onkar Singh and am certainly hopeful of working this out soon CRANK: How does UCI view the future of Bicycling as a sport in India?

Presidential Profile Brian Cookson was elected President of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) in 2013 . His campaign manifesto was to restore trust and lead change at the UCI. Cycling has touched Brian’s life, both as a rider and administrator for four decades. His cycling experience spans senior level positions within local, national and international cycling.

As a teenager in early seventies he became a regional road champion. After competitive racing he then switched focus to organizing and officiating and was elected President of British Cycling in 1996, a position he held unopposed until his election as UCI President. Brian is credited with a spectacular sporting and commercial turn around of British Cycling during his tenure of 15 years.

Since 1986 Brian has had a commendable experience in officiating global events. He was a UCI International Commissaire at the 1992 Olympics and multiple World Championships and international stage races. In 2009 he became a member of the UCI Management Committee, was President of the UCI Road Commission as well as the Cyclo-Cross Commission.

It amazing what an upside cycling as a sport has in a country of a billion plus. But infrastructure has to come up which I am told is a priority of the government and more importantly the culture of cycling has to catch up amongst general public. As I like to point out, you cannot always run to office and surely you cant swim to office but you can surely cycle to office. And that too daily! So when the culture of cycling catches up sports and medals cannot be far behind CRANK: How do you like it in India? Have you biked around?

Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to see much about this marvelous country but I enjoyed two days of great racing at the velodrome and had very interesting and useful meetings with the President of CFI Mr. Parminder Singh Dhindhsa and Secretary General CFI Mr. Onkar Singh along with top representatives from the Sports Authority of India, the Indian Olympic Association, and the Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports. I’ve met very committed people and together we’re laying the foundation for further development of cycling in India.

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Since becoming UCI President, Brian is focused on delivering his manifesto pledges to rebuild trust in the UCI, transform the way anti-doping is dealt with, grow the sport globally, develop women’s cycling, overhaul elite road cycling and strengthen cycling’s credibility and influence within the Olympic Movement.

Brian’s professional career outside of cycling includes over 30 years’ experience of senior level management in the public sector, specifically as a specialist in urban renewal and design.

Born in Preston, Lancashire in 1951 and married with three children, Brian still cycles regularly on road, track and MTB.

CRANK with ProCycle MARCH 15TH, 2017

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Sprint mindgames

Elite Ominum

olympian Lee Wai Sze on podium

Shushiklala Agashe and Aleena Reji

TRACK EXTRAVAGANZA IN NEW DELHI The 37th Asian Track Cycling Championship

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nd what an extravaganza it was! The 37th Asian Track Cycling Championship lived up to everything it promised.

18 Asian countries vying for individual and team and glory across a range of track cycling formats over 5 days. The Indira Gandhi Sports Complex Velodrome, which is also the UCI’s world cycling center satellite in India, was lit up in its entire splendor to welcome the teams The competitive field comprised of teams from China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Kazakhstan, Macau, Malaysian, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Turkmenistan, UAE and Uzbekistan. The events bouquet consisted of Sprint, Time Trial, Keirin, Pursuit, Point Race, Scratch, Ominum and Madison

in timings and are steadily climbing. The federation has a well thought out long term plan and we are working towards identified goals.’

The Highlight of the event was the presence of the UCI President himself Mr. Brian Cookson. He graced the occasion and said that with the organizing prowess of CFI he was confident that India could even hold one of the UCI world cup event soon.

Medals Tally RANK

COUNTRY

South Korea

9

13

8

30

1

GOLD SILVER

BRONZE TOTAL

South Korea led the medal tally with 9 Gold’s followed by China (8) Japan (7), Kazakhstan (6) and Hong Kong (5). Korea trotted home with an overall tally of 30 medals

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China

8

3

3

14

3

Japan

7

5

13

25

4

Kazakhstan

6

4

3

13

India ended up with two bronzes with a scintillating performance from Alena Reji and Shushikala Agashe, in the women juniors team sprint. Aleena Reji added a second bronze medal in the 500M Time Trial There was some heartbreak for India’s No. 1 Cyclist Deborah Harold who could not convert her performance in a medal in 500m Time Trial in Women Elite category. She was placed fourth place but she gave her personal best to create a New National Record.

2012 Olympic Medalist Lee Wai Sze of Hong Kong with a timing of 34.204s claimed gold. It may be noted that Deborah transitioned from juniors to elite recently and still ended 4th in a tough field. In the mens filed India wasn’t too luck but saw a gutsy performance

by Sachin Desai in the Ominum despite two crashes

Hong Kong

5

3

3

11

6

Iran

2

3

0

5

7

Malaysia

1

0

2

3

Chinese Taipei

0

5

1

6

9

Thailand

0

1

1

2

9

Macau

0

1

1

2

11

India

0

0

2

2

12

UAE

0

0

1

1

13

Saudi Arabia

0

0

0

0

13

Mongolia

0

0

0

0

13

Singapore

0

0

0

0

13

Turkmenistan

0

0

0

0

13

Uzbekistan

0

0

0

0

13

Indonesia

0

0

0

0

Amongst the cyclists there were Olympic and World Championship medal holders like Lee W Sze from Hong Kong and legendary Azizul Awang from Malaysia (The Pocket Rocketman) a Rio medalist in sprint. It was super for the audiences to see them up close Mr. Onkar Singh Secretary General CFI was satisfied by the performance of India. “We have showed consistent improvements

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IndustryNews

The MVS Cycling Carnival 2017

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COTT Sports India, the Indian arm of the globally recognized multisport company SCOTT Sports, is proud to be associated with the fourth edition of Coimbatore’s premier cycling event, The MVS Cycling Carnival 2017, a one of its kind cycling carnival held at Kari Motor Speedway on 4th & 5th February.

“SCOTT has been associated with this event in the city of Coimbatore now since inception and my commitment to all the organizers & cyclists in this region is that we will be associated for as long as this event continues to be. It has now become one of the most exciting racing events split into two days with Enduro & Criterium which are both exciting for mountain bikers & road bikers alike. We also see a huge turnout of kid’s enthusiast which is the most encouraging aspect of this event which covers cyclist from across country & across age groups as young as ten to as young at heart sixty-eight years old.” said, Jaymin Shah, Country Manager, SCOTT Sports India.

The day 1 of mountain biking action saw Scott Factory Team riderChinglensana Thangsabam (Thoiba) rule the day and blaze through 6 stages to stand first on the podium. On day 2, in the road race, Scott Bikeshark Road team riders did very well with Dhiren finishing 2nd and Meherzad finishing a close fought 3rd. Dhiren was on his Foil Team Issue and Meherzad was on his Addict. All in all a good 2 days of racing, with something for everyone to look forward to the next year!

SCOTT continues to reward the young, aspiring and deserving cyclist & invite them to be a part of Future Star or the Athlete Program. The eligible cyclist get the opportunity to compete for a full biking kit & mentoring through Athlete Training Program. This year we have organized the first ever cycling training program for

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athletes in India – the SCOTT Athlete Training Program under the guidance of Mr. Nigel Smith - a British Cycling Certified Coach.

This program is an honest attempt for supporting the deserving athletes and to encourage their love & passion towards the sports to become world class athletes. GT Gagan Reddy who stood first on the podium in Under 18 Boys has been offered the Scott Future Star Athlete Contract .The Scott Future Star Program provides top-of-the-line race equipment ( bike, head-to-toe full biking kit & mentoring through Athlete Training Program).

SCOTT announces launch of The SCOTT Velo Lab Coaching Program for amateur cyclists in the city of Coimbatore soon. This is a training and resource sharing platform for all types of cyclists across various age groups and cycling disciplines to come together and get the opportunity to learn more about the correct methods of cycling, right equipment, nutrition, understanding their physical strengths, address the physiological aspects of competitive, recreational cycling and the science behind cycling. This initiative is also to make cycling safer & more exciting as a sport for people to take up.

IndustryNews

RIDLEY - BE Tough

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s India hots up for the bicycling lifestyle we are seeing a number of big brands make foray into the country and the ones already existing are excited to launch more product lines and also have India specific business expansion plans. Crank recently caught up with Edward Vlutters, Director, International Sales, Ridley, on his tour to India to launch the 2017 Ridley collection and here are the excerpts from his conversation.

What is the philosophy of the Ridley brand and your vision for Ridley in India?

“Our slogan for Ridley is #BeTough which has a pun to it “Be Tough” as in the consumer being tough in their rides and getting the most out of themselves with our bikes, but also B E as in Belgium though so consumers can identify themselves with some of the toughest riders and roads that are to be found in Belgium, where the no 1 national sport is cycling” Our vison for India; we would aspire to be the No1 brand of premium bikes in India, by bringing the correct premium products that the evolving consumers in India need.

Tell us some details about the alliance with TI and your plans for manufacturing and distribution in the Indian subcontinent?

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What is your brand’s alignment to ‘Make In India’ movement?

“We have a very close relationship with TI Cycles and believe they have the right vision and strategy to supply bicycles to the Indian consumer through a great retail strategy. Both Track and Trail and Ciclo are examples of this. Regarding manufacturing, we currently make products that are unique for the evolving Indian consumer in cooperation with TI Cycles and intend to do more in India, but it’s not always possible for premium products, so this is something we are exploring step by step as we go along” What Segments of your product line is expected to be seen in India?

Ohh a lot! We start with a line of road, MTB and hybrid that are specifically engineered for India in Belgium. Then we follow it up with our International range of Road and MTB bikes. We can actually deliver any bike of our International line from Belgium by air to any Indian consumer” The super-premium segment or International brands is relatively small and very crowded. How does Ridley plan to get an edge and what is your specific target audience?

Our targeted audience is the performance cyclist and or the

consumer that aspires to become a performance cyclist. We plan to get an edge in this category by designing products specifically for the Indian consumer and also by supporting racing at the highest level with sponsorship of a team.”

Who you think is your biggest competitor in the Indian market and what are your USP’s that gives you an edge.

Nieuwenhuis Crowned U23 Cyclocross World Champ!

“Good question. There are multiple like Trek, Scott etc. But in terms of the fact that we are an international UCI pro tour brand that designs bikes specifically for the Indian consumer this limits the competition. Also our bikes are designed for the best riders on the planet like “Andre Greipel” and are designed in the heart of Flanders in Belgium where cycling is the no 1 national sport and where riders face the toughest conditions.

So a consumer buying a Ridley knows where it’s designed and for who and so can enjoy a superior ride on our products. Also TI Cycles retail outlets are premium to any others in India and consumers can buy the products in a professional and relaxed environment” What’s your ride? Roadie or shredding?

Roadie! Helium SL! But also love to shred now and then!

Any favorite trails or rides?

Yes there is a ride in Mexico which includes 30km of climbing to Ajusco mountain to ~ 4,000 meters of height. Hard but very awarding ride.

Teams & Riders Dutchman Joris Nieuwenhuis delivered a dominating performance in the Under-23 men’s race at the Cyclocross World Championships Sunday, winning the world title and confirming his status as the sport’s top young talent. It was a perfect finish to a breakout season that also saw Nieuwenhuis win the U23 men’s World Cup title.

Did you get a chance to ride in India?

Yes many times, love it, I like to ride with Ciclo team in Chennai around the beach highway, these guys are getting better each time I visit!

Any plans to launch a factory team?

We have what is kind of a factory team with all employees at Ridley in Belgium! For pro tour we support Lotto Soudal. For woman’s WM3. In India we are working on something but I cannot let the cat out of the bag on that one yet!

Brompton launching in India

Riding his Team Sunweb TCX Advanced Pro team bike, Nieuwenhuis overcame challenging conditions on a wet and muddy course in Luxembourg. Overnight rains and warming temperatures made for a treacherous course in Bieles, but Nieuwenhuis rode a nearly flawless race. While others struggled, the tall 20-year-old Dutchman never crashed. After battling his way to the front of the field on the opening lap, he never looked back.

“I knew I was ready and I felt good coming into the race, although you never know how the legs feel until it actually starts,” said Nieuwenhuis, who rides for the Team Sunweb development squad. “I just rode my own race and went as fast as I could.”

The win also marked the first world title for Team Sunweb, which launched earlier this month with Giant as its technical partner.

In addition to his TCX Advanced Pro, Nieuwenhuis used Giant WheelSystems, a Contact SLR saddle, and Contact SLR/SL cockpit. He also wore the Giant Rev helmet to take home the gold medal.

“I’m extremely happy to take the world title and pleased to give Team Sunweb their first ever rainbow jersey,” he said.

CRANK with ProCycle MARCH 15TH, 2017

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Mahajan Brothers

ProCycling

“So we thought of doing some event in India that was longer than RAAM; but the length and breadth of our country is less than RAAM (4860 km). So we thought of doing the Golden Quadrilateral Challenge (GQC), we decided to ride through the highways joining 4 major metros - Delhi-Kolkatta-Chennai-Mumbai. The length of GQC is 5957 km, almost 1100km more than RAAM and covers most of the country and in doing so we also crossed some of the major cities with varied cultures like Pune, Bangalore, Vijayawada, Vizag, Bhubaneshwar, Allahabad, Varanasi, Kanpur, Jaipur, Ahmedabad,& Surat”

Around the Country in 10 days!!!

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ne fine day in July 2015, the sleepy small town of Nashik was suddenly on the world map, the Mahajan brothers became the first Indians to complete the toughest bicycle race in the world called RAAM i.e Race Across America, by peddling transcontinental distance of 4860 kms in 8 days and 14 hrs in the relay format. They also won the first position in “Team of two” category (Age 18-49 years). Well, as they say that was just the beginning and their achievements not only bought them recognition from the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi but also helped raise funds for 370 free eye surgeries through Kalpataru foundation for the betterment of tribals.

After they successfully completed the RAAM in 2015, their achievement was included in the Limca Book of Records as the “First and the fastest Indians duo to cover 4,860km in 8 days 14 hours”. This was when the seed of creating records got them working to up their game.

Himalayan Rush

The journey wasn’t easy, to say the least, added to that was the tedious process the Guinness requires for any attempt to be recognized. “You are expected to maintain Log books with details of how much each rider rode each time during his riding turn; at what time of day and it was extremely difficult to do so as during day time we kept taking turns (frequent changes) so there were multiple entries and each had to be signed by a local citizen as a witness. Most of our doctor friends waited for us for hours by the road side to welcome us.”

Apart from the log book, the Witness forms had to be filled separately with name, address,phone numbers,mail id, business card of the witness and it was very tough as most of these places were remote; Also it took a lot of effort and time to locate police stations and government offices in 12 cities, getting photographs and recordings by stopping by the side of major landmarks in those citiesetc, all these being mandatory requirements of getting the record approved. They had to do all this in addition to riding and keeping their focus on the goal.

But finally they completed the loop of GQ, starting from Gateway, Mumbai heading towards Chennai, followed by Kolkata, Delhi and back to Gateway of India in Mumbai in 10 days 19 hours and 41 minutes and it was worth every mile of the effort. Now the Brothers are eagerly waiting to hear back fromGuinness, as they take 4 months or more to process the records!! Crank wishes them many more miles and milestones!

Himalayan Rush is a unique Cross (off road) triathlon for recreational athletes known for the friendly routes and the intense uphill trails, born out of the twin love of the founders – outdoor sports and Nepal.

It combines the thrill of trail running, mountain biking and fresh water lake swimming with a breath-taking view of the Himalayas surrounding Pokhara to give each participant a unique experience This year 25th March 2017 will be the 6th year of the race and Race categories include: Sprint and Standard Distance Triathlon; Duathlon, Team Relay and a 5k run. For adventurers and fitness enthusiasts, first-timers and experienced triathletes alike, Himalayan Rush is the experience of a lifetime.

Lake Pokhara

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Scenic Challenge

CRANK with ProCycle MARCH 15TH, 2017

Find out more details at www.himalayanrush.comand follow their journey at https://www.facebook.com/himalayanrush/ & https:// twitter.com/himalayanrush

Ironman Deepak Raj

HealthWise

Your childs sporting future - In her genes!

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e humans have always been inquisitive about the future, from time machine to astrology all has been our relentless search of knowing the future. The latest in the race is Nutrigenomics & Sports Genomics, the science of predicting the ability of a person to excel in a particular sport based on their genes.

So next time you use the phrase “it’s in my genes” you may actually be talking about Genomics!!!

This is a revolutionary breakthrough that can help parents decide what kind of sport their kid will excel in. Whether a child will do well in endurance sports (like Football, Marathon or Cycling) or whether they will be good at power sports (boxing, sprinting or weight-lifting), all this can be deduced from a simple test. The tests can then be collated to devise the perfectly customized diet, exercise and training regimen to help the child unleash his/her true potential.

These tests also helps aspiring young sportspersons perform better explaining to them various facets of their bodies’ mechanisms which are absolutely vital for sporting brilliance.

The most crucial risk for any sportsperson is the risk of injury and these tests helps them to understand the risk and also the time the body will take to heal itself.

This revolutionary test panel also provides vital information regarding aerobic capacity and muscle fatigue threshold, which help the athletes to better understand his/her body’s inherent strengths and weaknesses. Targeting these areas, the nutrigenomic counsellor can devise efficient strategies for diet, exercise and training which help fuel the sportspersons body with the zeal required to excel in sports.

Though the tests are very popular among professional athletes, it is also available for hobby athletes as it helps in building performance, improving fitness, avoiding injuries etc. However, in professional athletes, the genetic recommendations plays a crucial role in improving their performance, as at professional level, every single aspect of improvement counts.

GeneSupportis a strategic joint venture between geneOmbio Technologies Pvt. Ltd. and Resilient Cosmeceuticals Pvt. Ltd. and provides a wide-range of test panel like the DNA diet plan for weight management and Sports Panel.The panels offered by GeneSupport provide specific information on your body’s system

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CRANK with ProCycle MARCH 15TH, 2017

Want to know about your child’s sporting future? and they are also able to predict risks associated with certain lifestyle disorders.

As the SNP/ Genetic Variation profile wouldn’t change after birth on an individual these tests cab be taken at any age, though recommended for children above age of 5. The test is conducted using Blood and Saliva. And is available at a cost of INR19,000/and includes, genetic test, diet and exercise recommendations based on the test and also detailed Sports /Exercise genomics counseling from GeneSupport experts, after the test results are ready.

The team of experts at GeneSupport is led by Dr. Amol Raut, CEO and Chief R&D Consultant. He is a postgraduate and doctorate in microbiology. He is supported by Dr. R. D. Dixit, Chief Sports Genomics Counselorand Dr. GeetaDharmattias the Chief Nutrigenomic Counsellor of GeneSupport.

The Club

CityTalk

Spin your life with SPINLIFE in Delhi NCR

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hat started in 2012 as one man’s dream to get people to explore the beautiful world of bicycling is today a bicycling club with over 1000 riders and 7000 fans on Facebook. Gautam Verma, a popular spinning instructor and the founder of Spinlife, started the club as an extension of his spinning classes and his vision to make cycling a way of life. Partnering with him was Ela Ghose, one of the earliest women hobby cyclists in NCR. Between the two the club took shape, while Gautam got people excited about riding and helping them with cycles and helmets on rent, Ela set up the infrastructure, social platform and was often the ‘enquiry desk’ and a strong reference point for women wanting to explore the sport.

The club started with about 15 riders around old Gurgaon and now has riders from all over Delhi NCR and has at least 150 riders riding each week. This year January the club celebrated its 5th anniversary!!! Currently the club has an inventory of 50 cycles that can be given on rent and each week about 20-30 bikes are rented out!!

Spinlife is the only club in Delhi NCR that has special rides for beginners, they call it ‘Newbie Ride’ and also help rider’s graduate to serious riding through their Regular rides of 100+Kms every weekend. The club and its promoters have a very strict conduct about safety and doesn’t allow anyone to ride without helmets and proper gear like lights, florescent jackets etc. The club is run by its members and guidance from the founders. Today Ela & Gautam are supported by Anil Puri, the man who integrates the riders from the forces and Yogendra Singh who manages the practice rides and endurance rides and is supported by Adiyta Bhandari.

& Murder case in 2012, with Jagori to CMR (Critical Mass Ride) in 2014 to promote non-motorized transport and the need for infrastructure for safe and secure riding, Ride to support women safety on International Women’s day in 2015 and Ride for Charities Aid Foundation & ride against Corruption in 2016.

In the last 5 years, the club has helped a lot of its members achieve their cycling goals by making help and guidance available and also charting routes and ensuring there is a ride every weekend and designated weekdays. In 2014, 5 riders from the club participated in the PBP (Paris Brest Paris) and 3 of them participated in the TFN (Tour De Nilgiris) recently while many riders have been successfully completing the Manali-Leh cycling expedition every year. There are 7 SR’s from the club till date and the club is expecting 6 riders to become double SR’s this year and doubling the SR numbers as well apart from a strong participation in the 2019 PBP!!

If you are in Delhi-NCR and looking out for some interesting rides, you can get in touch with the club at contactus@spinlife.in and follow their rides on https://www.facebook.com/SpinLifers Winter Morning Ride

Spinlife is committed to social causes and regularly organizes rides with a cause to spread awareness about a variety of social issues.

Starting with the ride in support of the protest for Nirbhaya Rape

CRANK with ProCycle MARCH 15TH, 2017

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MADE FOR CITIES

The first Brompton was designed and built in London 40 years ago, and it is still the city that inspires us most. Every Bike is still hand brazed and assembled at our factory in the capital.

Made for speed Making your journeys across town quicker

Made for trains Made for commuters and metros all over the world

MADE IN LONDON

Made for socialising Made for meet ups with friends and quick cafe stops

Showcase

P

1030mm

EXTREMITIES

MAIN FRAME

H

11 – FRONT LUGGAGE SYSTEM

10 – LIGHTING

9 – TYRES

8 – SUSPENSION

7 – SEAT HEIGHT

6 – SADDLES

1013mm

Choose mainframe and extremity colours.

924mm

M

Other options:

S

1072mm

Four gearing options:

With four handlebar types offering different ride positions, there’s one suited to your needs

www.brompton.com/buy

Head to the Brompton bike builder to see what your choice will look like and make your final tweaks

1 Speed 2 Speed 3 Speed 6 Speed

2 – GEARS

1 – HANDLEBARS

5 – COLOURS

All Bromptons are handmade to order in our London Factory. The easiest way to choose your Brompton is using our Bike Builder online (www.brompton.com/Buy) The following are the key choices you'll have to make:

TEST RIDE TODAY Nothing beats a test ride to help you decide; all Brompton dealers have demo bikes in store for you to try.

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RACK

MUDGUARD

Version R

7

MUDGUARDS & RACK

Version L

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NO MUDGUARDS

Version E

9

6

3 - MUDGUARDS

8

11

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SUPERLIGHT from 9.4kg/20.7lbs (titanium fork and rear frame)

REGULAR ALL-STEEL from 10.1kg/22.3lbs

4 – FRAME

MADE FOR YOU

PlanetSaddle

Love is in the air……. and also on wheels Love is a beautiful thing!!!Love of the bike to love on the bike, Crank brings to you the stories of 5 couples this Valentine, from different walks of life, who mixed their love of the wheel with the love of their lives and it was magical!!

For Shivani & Naresh Gupta from Ghatkopar, a young couple, much in love, the journey on the two wheels started unexpectedly when they signed up for a cycling expedition to the Thar Desert with YHAI (Youth Hostels Association of India). They just signed up out of curiosity and have never looked back.

They followed this tour up with the marquee Manali- Leh bicycling tour and made some unforgettable memories together. Twice in the tour they had situations where one was on a verge of giving up and the other motivated to keep going and in this process they learnt that the mind is mightier than the body and discovered the true power of love and togetherness, both for the sport & each other.

“We have learnt more about each other because of the time we get to spend outside the home environment; witnessed the highs and lows at individual level which eventually made us more sensitive towards each other.

To all those couple out there, we would highly encourage you to at least pursue one hobby together, it would add so much more to your relationship!”

The couple now plans to get into endurance rides and debut their brevet journey in 2017!

Jayanti & Anand Arvind are the typical corporate couple settled in Hyderabad.

While Jayanti has been with Microsoft for 17 years, Anand is the Products guy in a startup.

Jayanti has been cycling since childhood, Anand got into it on her prodding, recently.

They have done a few long tours recently and got both their boys to ride with them as well.

They feel that they have bonded well over the rides and are all set to spend more time on the wheels enjoying and motivating each other, what a healthy way to discover Love!!!

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CRANK with ProCycle MARCH 15TH, 2017

Sapna & Arvind Dimri stay in Gurgaon, while Sapna is the Principal of The Shri Ram School, Arvind heads the regional training portfolio for Tata Docomo and they have been riding together for a few years. Arvind has been riding since he was in school while Sapna’s story with the saddle has been nothing less than a romantic blockbuster.

On their 24th Wedding Anniversary Arvind not only gifted her a cycle but also took her out on a ride and ever since they have been creating magic on the wheels. The story gets a little cuter from here as their next big ride was a 9 day trip to Bhutan that Sapna gifted AD (as she calls him) on his birthday. A journey that beautifully combined their passion for travelling and cycling and exploring a beautiful country and its lovely people and converted Sapna into a serious cycling enthusiast!!!

“To all the people out there who are thinking of getting on the saddle, all I can say is if we can do it so can you. So don’t just think…..get out there and ‘’Just Do It”!!

No matter the age, one must have a set of hobbies, something that enables you to spend quality time with your family in a near perfect state. Sonia & Anil Puri have spent over 30 years in the Services. Sonia is an ophthalmologist and Anil is an electrical engineer with masters in management. When the couple moved to Delhi on their deputation, what began as an exploration of Delhi’s heritage, soon became a passion to venture far and beyond on the bicycle. What attracted them to cycling was an opportunity to wean away from the confines of a living room glued to the television or the mobile and experience the freedom and togetherness with each other and nature!

In the last couple of years, the couple has done thousands of kilometers together exploring mustard fields, historical monuments in and around Delhi, snowcapped peaks along the Manali-Leh route, tasted true flavors of India straight from the desi kadhai and tawa, rode on the only 209km bicycling highway close to Agra and the list is endless!!

Anil’s dream is to cycle on a tandem across India with Sonya, and Sonya’s dreams is to visitremote villages on cycle to provide succor to people having eye problems and other medical issues. This

Valentine’s day, they plan to continue the zeal to ride together and reclaim – life cycle together. They are giving serious relationship goals to any couple out there!

From the corporate to the services, young to the old, love strikes unexpectedly and it strikes hard. That’s the story of Pratibha & Devidas Aher of Nashik and their love story on the wheels.

They started cycling about 5 years back and like young kids their initial rides were filled with absolute exhilaration. Not too much into technicalities just cycling together in an unplanned way without much support or even a backup plan. This euphoria helped them cover short distances and some destinations around Nashik in the beginning. During one such random ride through Chandanapuri Ghat at midnight, they had to take refuge on a farm which was complete madness and then the first injury happened and made the couple realize the importance of taking safety measures on the road and then came the unplanned trip that left them stranded in a jungle famous for tigers, it made them realize that having a backup plan is an imperative. But through all these experiences their bond only grew stronger and made them realize that cycling became an enabler for them to reach out to the joy of adventure and selfrealization.

CRANK with ProCycle MARCH 15TH, 2017

21

PlanetSaddle

Loaded with sprit

Frozen Highway

The call of the Mountains…

O

ne of the most popular quotes among travelers“the mountains are calling and I must go” and that’s what Marcel Lefebvre from Belgium did, he simply answered the call with an élan!!! We at Crank bring you the inspiring story of Marcel’s cycling adventures, that started in 1992, when heentered the great family of the Club AudaxTournai in Belgium and found the B.R.M. (Brevets des Randonneurs Mondiaux) and at sixty there is no looking back, he is getting stronger and more adventurous!!

“Like many beginners, my first participation ended in extreme suffering, the last 70 km I rode in 10 hours to complete it with in time. Then Icame back stronger by learning from my mistakes and since then I have never suffered to finish a B.P.B or a B.R.M. Now I have a lot of fun to finish not much tired and fully enjoy the ambience of the arrival while waiting for friends behind me.”

In the last couple of years Marcel has not only completed 3 PBP’s (1999, 2003 & 2007 ) but has also done rides extensively through Europe and Asia. His membership with a cycling-tourist club was the trigger to travel out of his home country, Belgium. He started with France, climbing the passes of Tour de France. In doing so, he discovered a rather original cycling brotherhood, the club of the Cent Cols (http://www.centcols.org/). To be part of it, you have to climb 100 officially recognized passes including 5 passes over 2000m.

Marcel is now based in Thailand and since 2009 has travelled extensively across Southeast Asia from Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Burma and Thailand. The BRM established in Thailand through the creation of the AudaxRandonneurs Thailand has given him new opportunity to travel through Thailand and an opportunity to get to know the Thai cyclists. “It is always a joy for me to find a lot of known heads despite the helmet and glasses, and to make new friends.”

Marcel, is a very humble man and that’s evident in the way he has chosen his bikes. “When I see now all my cycling friends sporting new bikes last models in aluminum, chromoly, carbon, titanium, I smile thinking of my first bikes that were always second hand until the age of 30 years. Often unsuitable. Gradually, I expanded my range of bikes, only 2 years ago I finally bought anOrbea Carbon and I appreciate its flexibility. One important point is that all of my road bikes are equipped with a triple chain ring.”

Marcel prefers to ride solo at his own pace and does not follow a squad of cyclists riding faster than him “I know my cruising speed, I keep reserves and keep my strength especially during long distances. On the other hand, everyone can follow me at my regular speed between 20/24 kmph, without much effort.”

To sum it up, Marcel calls himself a ‘Bike Addict’ in his words “I hang! I’m on a cloud! I often forget to turn to a crossroads or accelerate unconsciously and forget about my companions”

“It is a game, one quickly tries to increase their collection, and ride in other mountainous countries, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland for example. To date, I have climbed 1598 passes, of which 84 were more than 2000 meters in altitude.”

The next adventure came in 2008 when he joined a team of 101 cyclists, including 21 women riders, riding from Paris to Beijing.

The group covered a total of 12,623 km travelling from Europe and passing over to Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China from West to East. A journey like this can be overwhelming and in Marcel’s own words “After such a journey, one feels cramped in small Belgium and I only remember one thing, it is the smile of the people crossed all the way and the spontaneous welcome”

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CRANK with ProCycle MARCH 15TH, 2017

Age no barrier

CrankActive

In this issue we feature the unique Paragliding

F

rom Icarus in Greek mythology, trying to fly with artificial wings to the invention of the aircrafts, flying has always captured the imagination of the human mind. In this edition Crank brings to you the information about Paragliding, an active sport that not only helps you soar high and fly like a bird but also provides a vantage view of some of the most spectacular landscapes from the top!

The sport requires minimal training and one can start with experiencing it on a tandem with an experienced pilot. The equipment used is often referred to as paraglider wing or canopy and the pilot is supported underneath the wing by a network of suspension lines. The pilot is buckled into a harness, beneath the lines. The paraglider is maneuvered using two lines known as the brake lines, which are pulled for turning and also breaking for landing.Variometers, radios, and, increasingly, GPS units are some of the instruments the pilots use during flying.

These paragliders are lightweight (around 1215 kgs), portable and can be carried on the pilots back as a rucksack One can enroll for a preliminary course and learn about launching, turning and

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CRANK with ProCycle MARCH 15TH, 2017

landing and in most cases one can make the first flight within 2 days of training.

A few supervised solo flights and then an opportunity to fly solo makes this an interesting sport. Post the completion of the preliminary course, one can enroll for the advanced pilot course to learn advanced techniques of paragliding However, before selecting the institution make sure that the institution has a valid certification and also check the rating of the certification. It is imperative to make sure the school is safety complaint and certified Paragliding happens throughout the year except in the monsoon season and India boosts of some spectacular sites. Bir-Billing in Himachal is the home to Paragliding with the distinction of hosting the first ever world cup for paragliding in India. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not only scenic but is revered as a great site to fly by professional paragliders across the world.

With the Himalayan ranges peeping through the landscape it makes for a great adventure holiday destination. Kamshet in Pune is the second most popular destination in India for paragliding. Apart from this you can experience Paragliding in Manali, Masoorie, Ranikhet, Nainitaal, Panchgani& Bangalore.

Keeping with the Valentine theme we have a special couple Meenu Yadav and Amit Kakade based in Bir, Himachal. They left their cushy corporate job of 20 years, travelled across the country to settle here, learn paragliding and participate in paragliding competitions. They now paraglide extensively and Amit also teaches there as well. The couple started cycling in the para-off season to just explore the place and keep themselves fit but they soon got addicted to it and rode across SouthEast Asia on their bikes from Singapore-Malaysia-Thailand in 2015 and then Cambodia-Vietnam-Laos,up to China in 2016. They love riding & flying with each other,supporting and competing with each other and having a lot of fun in the process!!.

They also help travelers to explore trails on a bicycle and fly on tandem Paraglide in Bir!!! Connect up with them at https://www. facebook.com/cyclesookal/ next time you are in the vicinity

© SYNCROS SA 2016 | PHOTOS: IAM CYCLING

ToyCentral

FOR THE TOP ATHLETES AT THE TOUGHEST RACES IAM CYCLING - TOUR DE FRANCE The Tour de France may be the ultimate test of athlete and equipment. This year IAM Cycling is riding Syncros components because not only are they up to the challenge but because they can help them win.

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