Three Generations Win India's Toughest Bike Race

When Santosh Pawar watched cyclists cross the finish line at the recent Pune Grand Tour, he stood on sacred ground: the same spot where his father Dashrath had won India's iconic Mumbai-Pune cycling race four times.

Dashrath Pawar's legacy began in 1960 when he was just 23 years old. After a casual ride to Lonavala with his cousin, he entered his first Mumbai-Pune race and won.

He kept winning. Victories followed in 1972, 1973, and remarkably in 1977 when he was 40 years old, making him the oldest winner in the race's history.

The race wasn't easy then, and it still isn't now. Cyclists face a grueling 150-kilometer journey that includes the notorious 11-kilometer climb up Bor Ghat, where the fastest rider earns the title "Ghatacha Raja," or King of the Ghats.

Back in Dashrath's day, most riders competed on non-geared bicycles wearing flimsy hairnet helmets that offered little protection. After Dashrath's early wins, his employer Kirloskar Oil Engines Limited noticed his talent and gifted him a proper geared bicycle, a Claude Butler.

His sons Santosh, now 55, and Vishal, 52, watched their father train and couldn't help but follow. Dashrath would accompany young Santosh on 50-kilometer training rides, first on his own bicycle, then on a motorcycle as his son grew faster.

Santosh won his first major title at just 17, conquering a 14-day stage race from Mumbai to Delhi covering 1,400 kilometers. Vishal went even further, winning the Mumbai-Pune race himself in 2000 and earning the prestigious Shiv Chhatrapati award.

THE RIPPLE EFFECT

The Pawar family's dedication inspired their entire community. During race days, crowds would line the old Mumbai-Pune highway to cheer cyclists on, and factory workers from the industrial belt would take breaks just to watch their colleagues compete.

Now the third generation has arrived. Santosh's son Kedar has participated in Maharashtra cycling trials and is eyeing the national championships, carrying forward a family tradition that has survived decades of change in Indian sports.

Both Santosh and Vishal still compete today in national cycling competitions for their age category. The roads may have improved and the races grown more organized, but the family's love for cycling remains unchanged.