A Dream Lost or in the Frost !

     The first time I got to see the snaps of Tour de France was in 1999 I was amazed at the number of participants, the cheering crowds and the coverage by all kinds of media. The snaps that I saw took my breath away the videos simply bowled me over. Simple village view outskirts of the French cities were a feast to the eyes along with the people on the road sides cheering for the riders in general and their favourites in particular. Till then my notion of sports that could captivate the general public didn’t include cycling as I had seen a few Olympic events of cycling that had sparse crowds, maybe due to the reason that they were conducted in a closed velodrome where the crowds couldn’t shout and cheer and maybe because there would be ticket fee to just watch the sport. In France during the Tour de France people from all over Europe take time off to be at the venues of the race and outline the whole roads throughout the ten days of it. Although a decade and half back I too used to cycle about 12 kms one way during the morning and evening when I had to oversee the construction work of our house. But then the charm wore out soon as I had to cycle through the busy city roads only and it became just a chore for me. Later as I got sucked into my job the thought got in the back of my mind.

In 2006 as I stepped onto the lovely and serene Andaman islands it took me a little time to savor the beauty and tranquility of the Emerald islands. The good company that I had over there and the trio of Sushant Amrit and Ajay got me to explore the hidden corners of these lovely islands I fell in love with Andaman & Nicobar. Soon as I started getting acquainted with the small place I realized the latent potential that this island has. If Tour de France is set in the country side of France it must be for the simple reason that cyclists would not appreciate to paddle in a city full of vehicles honking n criss crossing. The way to know the clean green view of the islands is to  start off from the Panipat road and after a hairpin bend towards Chatham jetty crossing the mini Zoo of Port Blair. After reaching the slope close to the SCI jetty surrounded by small hotels n houses made of wooden splinters one can surely feel a light breeze coming up the slope and waving hair as if a mother ruffling the kid’s hair. Crossing the Chatham jetty road get onto the road snaking towards Phoenix bay as it leads to the back of Welcome group hotel overlooking at the Indian ocean with North bay light house at a distance. The road is hardly obstructed as this is used by the locals staying there and no one else. As we near the Aberdeen jetty a clear view of the green Ross island lights up one’s heart. The way then connects into the main road in front of the Velodrome near Aberdeen jetty and a constantly changing view of the sea with the Cellular jail reminding of the revolutionaries who fought for the independence of our country. The road well tarred and with footpath on both the sides allows for people to walk n take in the magnificent view of the sea while being away from the edges which get a misty splash of water from the waves. The road from there is a ride to remember with some nice twists n turns till the Corbyn’s cove. It’s a thoroughfare throughout and worth experiencing. Maybe the route is so very constricted that the cyclists would have to take ferries and guard assisted vehicles to cross a few tree lined forest roads that are cool in every meaning, but each halt would be rejuvenating and each course invigorating. If the race could be stretched to the far away parts of the island of Havlock, Rangat and Diglipur it would be a real treat to the people who would participate and real advantage to the locals who would get to work on it and feel special in some way or the other. 

So if India had to have its own version of the cult like cycling event it the first choice should be Port Blair and nearby islands. The island offers appropriate conditions for conduct of such an event. The snaking roads along the beautiful beaches would provide the impetus, the simple people of the island would be very happy to vacate the near empty roads for the enthusiasts who would come from all over India and maybe the world. That would not only give the islands a boost in tourism but I guess the development of the island as a haven for clean sports would be a good idea to showcase India’s green face. I have been dreaming of it and would surely try to make it happen, even though I know its not an easy task and it will need an all out effort. Lets wait and hope for the best.

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