The ace Kashmiri cyclist AdilTeli Monday claimed to have set another Guinness World Record by peddling from Leh to Manali while covering a distance of 470 km in 29 hours 18 minutes, and 21 seconds.
According to Teli, the cyclist achieved the feat by finishing the expedition in a record time on Monday morning at 10:59 AM.
The World Guinness record holder from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in 2020, cyclist Adil broke the previous ‘Leh to Manali’ record of 35 hours 32 minutes 22 seconds, created by Bharat Pannu on 11 October 2020.
“I am grateful to the Almighty who gave me strength in registering another Guinness World Record. My happiness has no bounds. I don’t have words to express my feelings after achieving this feat,” Adil told Rising Kashmir.
In 2020, Adil, who hails from the Narbal area in central Kashmir’s Budgam district broke the previous Guinness World Record of Om Mahajan by pedalling from Kashmir to Kanyakumari in ‘8 days 1 hour 37’ minutes’.
He said that he started his expedition from Leh at 5:41 AM Sunday morning, pedalled through difficult terrains and passes like Tanglang La, Luchulang La, Nakee La, Barcha La, Rohtang.
“To make my dream come true, I rode without sleep and had just 40 minutes of break for the physiotherapist’s check-up and refreshment in the middle of the expedition,” he says.
The cyclist thanked the J&K Tourism Department and his other sponsors for sponsoring him. “Without their sponsorship, I would not have made it,” he said.
Teli extended special thanks to AkshayKoul, India’s well-known landscape architect professor and professional chair at Manipal University, Jaipur. “I dedicate my success to my parents and people of Kashmir,” he said.
Earlier on September, 09 morning Secretary Tourism Kashmir SarmadHafeez flagged off Adil for this expedition at the TRC ground, Srinagar. “In Leh, I was flagged off by Superintendent of Police Leh, PD Nitya,” he said.
The 24-yr old cyclist said though the number 475 km seems very small, but toughness of the road with high altitude terrains made the expedition difficult, besides snowclad roads at many places made it even more difficult.
He said the Leh-Manali route consists of five passes, and to pedal through those five passes was not a cakewalk, the highest pass is approximately 5300 meters above sea level and the rest four passes are above 4000 meters.
“Though the road was not easy, with lots of disturbances and obstacles, I was ready for all these challenges. I had prepared for the event by spending 45 days in Ladakh, and had acclimatized to the atmosphere already there,” he said.
He added that every rider who attempted the expedition used to come four to five days in advance to Ladakh. But I spent 45 days in Ladakh and have ridden Khardung La pass (road) five to six times.
“I was confident that I would break the old record with a good margin and now have created a record to my name,” he said.
In 2019, Teli completed another cycling journey of 440 km from Srinagar to Leh covering the distance in 26 hours and 30 minutes. He has now become an inspiration for many cyclists of the valley.
