RANDONNEURING BASICS I: An Introduction to the Sport
- Priyadarshani Pawar
- Aug 25, 2020
- 3 min read
Welcome to Randonneuring 101. This fancy sounding French-origin cycling sport has put many of my friends in a turmoil before - usually no one’s ever heard of it and more often than not, it leaves them scratching their heads as to why I am into at all- not only is it cumbersome to pronounce, it sounds even more arduous to do! “How?! What?! Why?!” - they ask me in voices that are a mix of awe, shock and genuine concern, secretly wondering if I have lost it! (your faces give it out, guys!) Well, with over 2-years of experience in the field, I am here to solve that mystery and hopefully convince you that I'm not as crazy (I do agree that some amount of crazy is indeed needed to take up this sport!), and that you should definitely give it a go too (still trying to persuade the husband, result = nada, but hey if this sport has taught me one thing- it's perseverance! So I'm not giving up till he gives in :D ) Let me start from scratch though, and first & foremost, present you with a crash course on this sport that I love! The "RANDONNEURING BASICS" Series that I’m writing, aims to do just that and will most definitely clue you in!
DISCLAIMER : This is purely from my experience and not to be considered or followed as the Randonneuring Bible. To all the randonneuring veterans out there reading this, forgive me if I get something wrong, and do let me know in the comments so I can fix it :)
Let’s get to it!!
WHAT IS RANDONNEURING ?
Randonneuring is a long-distance endurance cycling, mix-gender sport, where self-sufficiency is paramount while:
cyclists attempt courses of 200 km or more,
riding in groups or alone as they wish,
passing through predetermined "controls" (or checkpoints - that have an opening & closing time too- mind you!),
with an aim of completing the course within specified time limits in one go,
and receive equal recognition regardless of their finishing order.
A mix-gender sport where both sexes
participate together in the same events
IT'S NOT A RACE
As made clear from the definition, this is a non-competitive ultra-cycling sport. The only desired outcome is to complete within the specified time limits. Everyone doing so is declared a Finisher.
E.g. The time limit for a 200km ride is 13.5hours
It is of no consequence if you finish in 10 hours before everyone else or in 13 hours right at the bottom of the barrel, you are a FINISHER either way if you crossed within time.
1st or 2nd or 3rd or last, nobody cares as long as you’re in time;
There are NO WINNERS, only FINISHERS!
A UNIQUE MODUS OPERANDI
It’s more about the journey than the finish! Randoneurring therefore has a very different approach. Since there is no concept of a podium finish or ranking, cyclists are not bent on competing against each other but rather on challenging themselves for a successful finish. The sport with it’s emphasis on distance, self-sufficiency and camaraderie, celebrates the tenacity of the rider and not the speed - the ability to persevere, sustain and finish the long ride within the cut-off time (at checkpoints & finish line) is what matters- and you may do so at your own pace.
REMEMBER: Your only race is against the
"cutoff time" and nothing/nobody else!
For the ambitious ones out there, you can set your own personal goals and targets if you wish e.g. a Personal Best, a record finish etc. but the sport doesn’t care for it! For the extremely fast riders, it is to be noted that if you reach controls/check points before their opening times, you will have to wait before you can carry on! This provision is something I have never had to worry about, as I am no Faster Fene :D
Faster Fene is a beloved fictional character from popular Marathi novels of the same name . The stories have been adapted as a series in the Tinkle Digest Comics too! Agile of mind and body (which gave him the name), the young teen detective was a bicycle wizard, known to be"faster than a horse on his cycle"! He would have killed it in Randonneuring, if he knew! He loved cycling & he loved challenges! :)
That's all for today! I’ll probably read a "Faster Fene" now, and jog my memory of the first cycling hero I knew! In my next post I talk about the organisations in control, the rule-makers, and the clubs who look into the smooth functioning, and are in-charge of conducting Randonneuring events, around the world and in India. Stay tuned for:
Commentaires