Barely into his teens, Vadodara-based endurance cyclist Shaunak Gaikwad (13) successfully completed a 200 km ride in mid-July ” supervised by marshals of The Cycling Club, Baroda ” in 12 hours, to be crowned Gujarat’s youngest randonneur for 2014. The feat qualifies him to join the exclusive club of Audax India Randonneurs, a national organisation recognised by the international governing body for randonneuring ” Audax Club Parisien.

Inducted into randonneuring ” a long-distance cycling sport (popularised in France and fast picking up in India) in which riders attempt courses starting from 200 km and above within stipulated time frames ” in 2012 by his father on an ordinary bicycle, Shaunak is today the proud owner of a state-of-the-art multi-gear bicycle.

Born and raised in a sports loving family ” his elder sister Shauree is a promising triathlete while father Sameer is a marathoner and super randonneur ” this class IX student of the city’s St. Kabir’s School has been learning the nuances of the sport under the guidance of his super randonneur coach Nimish Makadia. His rigorous training regimen begins at 4.30 a.m every morning with speed cycling in high gears, followed by climbing practice on alternate days punctuated with 50 km rides. These training sessions are supplemented with specialised exercises and hour-long boot camps.

The key to endurance cycling is to understand the critical importance of cadence (pedaling rate) and training in a manner that doesn’t tax the thigh muscles too much, which would release lactic acid into the system causing severe cramps, says Shaunak, whose interests span  taekwondo (black belt), percussion, and reading.

Intent on joining the Indian Air Force after completing Plus Two, Shaunak wants to train as a fighter pilot. œI believe my passion for endurance cycling will stand me in good stead. Currently, I am training to better my record and attempt a 300 km ride, he says.

Smooth riding bro!

Suverchala Kashyap (Vadodara)