This woman cyclist from Pune, India is the fastest in Asia to ride across the globe in just 159 days

(Photo Source: facebook/@wheelsandwords)

• Despite all odds —from being robbed at a knife-point in Spain to camping alone in the snow of Russia — Vedangi Kulkarni, an Indian cyclist from Pune, has become the fastest Asian to cycle across the globe.
  
• The woman cyclist has travelled over 14 countries in less than six months(159 days), with over 80% of it travelling all alone.
  
• The certificate that will confirm the record is likely to come in 8-9 months from the submission of necessary documents, which is actually more than the time it took for Vedangi to travel across the globe.
  
• On Sunday, she completed 29,000 km of distance bicycling into Kolkata. The cyclist is headed back to Perth — where she started the ride — and will ride 15 kms more to reach her starting point.

Despite all odds, from being robbed at a knife-point in Spain to camping alone in the snow of Russia, Vedangi Kulkarni, an Indian cyclist from Pune, has become the fastest Asian to cycle across the globe.

Kulkarni turned 20 while riding to make it to the record books. She started her journey from Perth in July cycling nearly 300 kms a day and has reportedly travelled 14 countries in 159 days. Kulkarni has peddled nearly 80% of the journey all alone. Kulkarni’s bicycle is reportedly packed with her luggage and utilities including cycle tools, making it difficult to travel across countries.

Her challenging journey, however, was not without issues. She faced hurdles with securing visas for different countries and departure delays.

Kulkarni had been working towards her goal for the last two years while studying sports management from University of Bournemouth in the UK. Her preparation included a blueprint to the route, timeframes and organising necessary equipment.

Jenny Graham of Britain became the fastest woman bicycling across countries in 124 days this year, which was recorded to be three weeks faster than the record earlier.

Journey so far

Funded by her parents, the pedalist started her journey from Perth in July and cycled across Australia to Brisbane, from where she took a flight to Wellington, New Zealand.

Moving ahead, Vedangi travelled Vancouver in Canada, stepping towards Halifax, an Atlantic ocean in eastern Canada. She has also covered Portugal, Spain France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Finland and reached Russia.

Covering majority of the destinations on her travel list, the sports enthusiast landed in India recently for the last patch of her journey — the final 4,000 km. On Sunday, she completed 29,000 km of distance bicycling into Kolkata.

The cyclist is now headed back to Perth — where she started the ride — and has to cover a distance of 15 kms more to reach her starting point.