| Tour of Nilgiris | |
| Date: | December |
| Region: | South India |
| English: | Tour of Nilgiris |
| Discipline: | Road Bike, MTB, Hybrid |
| Type: | Eight Day Cyclosportive |
| Organiser: | Breakaway Sports |
| Co-Founder: | Deepak Majipatil |
| Website: | tourofnilgiris.com |
| Number: | 14 (as of 2023) |
The Tour of Nilgiris is a bicycle tour in India[1] organised by Veloindians.
The tour has been held every year since 2008. The aim of the tour is to promote cycling within the Nilgiris region passing through three Southern states of India Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and to revive the cycle culture by popularising cycle as a mode of transport for the twin benefits of easing traffic congestion and being environmental friendly.[2] The event caters for both Charity Riders, Recreational Riders and those looking to move into competitive professional cycling.
The hardest part of the tour is the famous and gruelling Kalhatty climb. 12 km of climbing gradients and 36 hairpin bends to gain an altitude of 1,230 m. The average elevation gain is around 10 per cent with a few stretches going up to 15 per cent gradient.
Kalhatti is considered a Hors catégorie climb, which in cycling terms means "something that is beyond categorisation". It is perhaps one of the toughest climbs possible in the sub continent.
Kalhatti route is inside a Reserve forest and this route is subjected to changes dependending on the various department permissions.
| Year | Dates | Distance | Participation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011[3] | Dec 9 - Dec 16 | 860 km | 70 Cyclists from 3 countries. 3 women riders. Cyclists from India, Italy and US. |
| 2012[4] | Dec 16 - Dec 23 | 860 km | 85 Cyclists. 8 women riders. |
| 2015[5] | Dec 16 - Dec 23 | 876 km | 109[6] cyclists from 8 countries. India, China, Germany, Nepal, Netherlands, Singapore, UK, and the USA. |
| 2017[7] | Dec 10 - Dec 17 | 1000 km | 128 Cyclists from 8 countries. 18 international riders and 8 women riders. Cyclists were from India(110), Australia, Denmark, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, Russia and the USA. |
| 2018[8] | Dec 9 - Dec 16 | 950 km | 110 Cyclists from 13 countries. 29 international riders and 17 women riders. India (81), Denmark(7), USA(4), Australia(3), Germany(3), UK(3), Belgium(2), Canada(2), Austria(1), Greece(1), Malaysia(1), Philippines(1) and Poland(1). |
| 2019 | Dec 8 - Dec 15 | 850+ km | 50 Cyclists including 6 Women Riders and 5 International Riders |
| 2022 | Dec 11 - Dec 18 | 850+ km | 107 Cyclists including 14 Women Riders and 10 International Riders |
| 2023 | Dec 10 - Dec 17 | 850+ km | 100 Cyclists including 16 Women Riders and 6 International Riders |