Her accomplishment made her the first woman solo cyclist to ride across the country from west to east in 14 days.
Digital Desk: A 45-year-old mother of two demonstrated that age
is just a number by cycling 4000 kilometres solo from Gujarat to Arunachal
Pradesh in 14 days. Preeti Maske, from Pune, began her ride on November 1 at
Koteshwar Temple on the western border with Pakistan and cycled through
Gujarat, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, and Arunachal
Pradesh, according to expedition chief crew Ghanshyam Raghuwanshi.
Maske rode 3995 kilometres in 13 days, 19 hours, and 12 minutes to reach
Kibithu, near the Chinese border in Arunachal Pradesh, at midnight on November
14, he said.
Her accomplishment made her the first woman solo cyclist to ride across
the country from west to east in 14 days.
Maske began cycling five years ago to cope with illness and depression.
World Ultra Cycling Association and Guiness World Record accepted the
paperwork, evidence, and time stamp photos. "They will process it and
issue the certificate in due course," Raghuwanshi stated.
Due to poor digital network connectivity in Arunachal Pradesh's remote
areas, it took some time to get the information to the media. It pushed back
the completion of the necessary formalities with WUCA-GWR. Maske was followed
by a five-person vehicle crew. She encountered numerous difficulties along the
way, particularly in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, with a total elevation gain
of 15,679 metres.
”Cycling was tough in these treacherous areas as there was heavy head
wind from Darbhanga in Bihar. After Tezu in Arunachal Pradesh, the
route is treacherous with elevation, bad roads, boulders and construction
work,” she told PTI.
Besides, the temperature dropped to 2-3 degrees celsius in Arunachal
Pradesh during the evening and night. ”This made it difficult to ride and we
also didn’t have adequate warm clothing. With zero network and abandoned roads,
we missed the direction and had to take a longer route in the
night,” Maske said.
The Border Roads Organisation gave the necessary logistic and
navigational support which helped her to complete the expedition.
Maske cycled for almost 350 kms in the first ten days with an average
saddle cycling time of 19 hours. ”Managing sleep deprivation in a continuous
non-stop ride was a challenge. I was cycling continuously for 19 hours and
sometimes for more than 24 hours.
It was coffee that kept me awake,” she said. Maske got a
severe cramp in her legs near the Assam-Arunachal border. ”It appeared that she
would have to call off the rest of the ride but with massage, stretching
exercises and rest she recovered,” Raghuwanshi said.
She undertook the expedition to support and create awareness for organ
donation for the organisation RebirthThrust.org.
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