The cyclists from Cockerel Cycle Expedition team being welcomed by army officials at Dipatoli Cantonment. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, June 23 : The 15 odd cyclists belonging to different regiments of the 23 Infantry division returned to a heroes welcome today after completing their 15-day marathon trip across Jharkhand and Orissa.

The cyclists started off from Ranchi on June 9 and covered Bundu, Jamshedpur, Ghatshila, Bahragora, Paripada, Baleshwar, Cuttack, Bhubneshwar, Chilika Lake, Puri, Dhenkanal, Barakot, Rourkela, Kolebera and Gumla.

Despite treacherous terrain and scorching heat, the cyclists completed the 1,567 km distance in their allotted time and maintained that although the trip was very demanding, it was their will power, grit and dedication, which saw them through successfully.

The expedition was organised to spread the message of peace and harmony and also to generate awareness among other jawans for adventurous activities.

Welcoming the cyclist earlier in the day, General Officer Commanding(GOC) Major General, Dalip Bharadwaj, Cockerel division, praised the jawans for their outstanding trip in which they interacted with the locals to throw light on the brighter side of the defence forces and motivate the masses to join the armedforces.

The cyclists also said they are planning for a longer trip in the future which may cover parts of Silliguri and other Eastern states.

Team leader, Captain H.P. Singh, told The Telegraph, ?Everyday we used to cover 120 kilometres. Things became really tough for us because after reaching a certain place we had to meet the civil authorities for our food and lodging. We used to start very early and get very little sleep, which made the expedition demanding for us. But the will power among the jawans was very high and we made it through,? said Singh.

Singh recollected about the warm welcome the team received wherever they went. ?We always found a host of people standing to welcome us. Apart from that the civil authorities were also very helpful ? added Singh.

Talking about the difficulties that the team faced during the journey, Nayab Subedar Mahesh Singh, said the tretch between Palwarand Talchar in Orissa was a bit hectic as it was an entirely hilly area.

?The road was not at all levelled and some parts of the road was even broken. We also crossed many naxalite-affected areas but thankfully we did not have any problems,? said Singh.

The division headquarters had also arranged for the cycles fitted with special gears, which enabled the cyclists to zoom on their way.

The team was escorted with a ration and medical van, which provided required assistance.

The 15 cyclists were shortlisted from a list of 55 volunteers for the expedition and had to pass through a number of endurance and physical fitness tests to get selected for the adventure trip.