MARGAO
American Olympic gold-medallist Alexi Singh Grewal believes that India has the potential to grow in the sport of cycling.
“In Colarado, we had more than 50 races over different distances in a season .India can also have a close-circuit environment. You have got the Himalayas; and the Alps and the Rockies are nothing compared to that. And that’s where road cycling is also important. If an Indian can win in other sports, they can excel in cycling too, former professional road racing cyclist Grewal told The Goan on Friday.
Grewal rose to prominence when he edged Canadian Steve Bauer to win the gold medal in the men’s individual road race in Los Angeles in a dramatic final-lap showdown. He became the first rider from the US to win the Olympic road race.
Grewal emerged as a cyclist following in the footsteps of his father Jasjit Singh Grewal (from Punjab), who moved to the United States in search of greener pastures and settled in Colorado. The younger Grewal’s big moment came at Los Angeles and he still savours that triumph.“I won some titles with Team RMO, but it was not the same. Whatever happened in France was something I regret. But for me, cycling was a passion. I met with a road accident in 1993 and suffered short-term memory loss. It was also the time when I got married and divorced. With no earnings, I opted to specialise in carpentry and would travel more than 30 miles a day in Masonville in my trailer. A year after I started carpentry, I lost two fingers in my left hand in a saw accident. ”
Seven years ago, Grewal made a comeback at the age of 50 when he competed in the Gran Fondo-style gravel event in Colorado, where he finished fourth out of 125 riders, and competed for different teams for two years. During his India visit this time, Grewal has competed in an 1000+ km race apart from other events. “When I won the Olympic title, I was 156 pounds and my cycle weighed 21.6 pounds. Nowadays, the cycles weigh around 13 pounds and even skinnier persons can achieve success.”
The Los Angeles gold medallist has has also tried his hand at politics, having run for the post of mayor of Loveland in Colorado twice. He lost the race both the times. “I have run for political office twice. It’s one of the races that I enter and have a chance to win. It is a type of a competition for sure. Other than being a titan in business, where you can do good things, it’s one of the places where you can affect positive change. I have my ambition. I ran for the post of a mayor but didn’t win but the experience was the best thing I have done for myself personally,”said Grewal, who was in Goa to promote ‘Reels on Wheels’.
