New Delhi, Aug. 3 -- At the peak of the pandemic, John Gwite discovered the joy of riding a bicycle. Short rides around his neighbourhood in Delhi kept the mind fresh. A few weeks later, he hit the highway towards Dehradun and once he was back home, he realised he had pedalled 250km, solo and self-supported. "I really enjoyed the freedom, the freshness of the outdoors each time I sat in the saddle. I was hooked on long distances," Gwite, 48, says.

That journey culminated in his longest ride in June-the Race Around Poland, a 3,600km course with a staggering elevation gain of 33,000 metres that runs through the wilderness of the Tatra Mountains. Gwite, who moved from Manipur to Delhi two decades ago, finished fifth in the men's under-50 ca...