To put the Kashmir valley back on the world sports and tourist map, besides further instilling a sense of security among visitors from foreign countries, the state hosted an international cycling event in Srinagar - 'Tour-de-India' - which was flagged off by chief minister Omar Abdullah at the banks of picturesque Dal Lake.
"This has put the state on the cycling map of the country. The participation of cyclists from various parts of India and other countries is highly encouraging," said Omar.
The chief minister asked the organisers to make "this landmark event an annual feature to make cycling more and more popular among young generation. The participation from overseas will further improve the situation. The government is making every effort to remove the fears in the minds of tourists regarding situation in Kashmir," said Omar
Reputed cyclists from India, Thailand, UAE, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Ireland and other countries participated in the event, the first leg of which was held in Mumbai some days back. As many as 120 cyclists of international repute took part in the second leg of 'Tour De India'. Several cyclists from Kashmir also participated in the event.
"It will boost cycling as well tourism in the state," said a Kashmiri cyclist.
The race is being held in three cities of the country - first leg was held in Mumbai on Sunday, while the third and final leg will be held at Greater Noida on December 9.
The Kashmir leg, second one of the event, on Tuesday saw cyclists paddling 26 km in each lap and covering a distance of 168 km. Reputed teams like Astana and Lotto also participated in the event.
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