His secret to finishing 41 days without a single argument

3 minutes of readingPuneFebruary 9, 2026 07:41 pm IST

With their bikes carefully packed in boxes and flown from Pune to Bangkok, then assembled at the airport and along with luggage (around 10-12kg per rider), this team of six seniors successfully completed an arduous and extraordinary cycling expedition across Southeast Asia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, covering 3,830 km in 41 days.

Long distance cycling is their shared passion and the team at Pune and Bombay Composed of retired officials from a multinational, a pharmaceutical company and even the Maharashtra police, they connected with local communities, visited schools and promoted the message about friendship and understanding between cultures.

Led by Pune-based Sanjay Katti, 68, the other members of the team include Ramakant Mahadik, 72, Dhananjay Madan, 67, Sanjay Kumthekar, 62, Raju (Anand) Patil, 59, and Monish Chakraborty, 55.

The expedition began in Bangkok, Thailand, on December 6 last year, with riders heading to Ayutthaya and then heading north towards Laos until they reached Vientiane, the capital. After sightseeing in Vientiane, the team traveled south to Pakse and entered Cambodia through the Nong Nok Kheine border. In Cambodia, they visited Angkor Wat in Siem Reap before heading to Phnom Penh, the capital.

After crossing the Bavet-Moc Bai border to enter Vietnam, we continue to Ho Chi Minh City. From Ho Chi Minh City, they cycled to Hanoi, traveling approximately 1,800 km from south to north in 30 days, passing through Nha Trang, Hoi An, Da Nang, Phong Nha and Ninh Binh, finally arriving in Hanoi.

“We started at 6 a.m. and cycled between 80 and 100 kilometers. After every eight days of cycling, two days of rest were scheduled,” said Katti, who has gone on mountaineering expeditions before he began actively cycling. “My back hurt and my knees hurt, especially when I was going downhill,” recalls Katti, who later took up long-distance cycling after his retirement as deputy CEO of Mercedes Benz. Katti would be amazed by the wide variety of natural attractions during her long-distance rides, meet like-minded cyclists, and decide to ride together.
Raju (Anand) Patil, who retired as ACP, Thane said that good health is the basic foundation of success. “True wealth begins with being well,” said Patil, who was part of the team and also participated in several long-distance trips. For Chakraborty, who decided to opt for early retirement as district director, Pfizer India said that after three decades in the field he decided to pursue his passion – mountaineering and trekking and is also part of the Pune-based ‘Young Seniors’ cycling group that meets regularly every day and follows a set schedule.

The other three are also avid cyclists and the team says it was remarkable that the entire expedition was completed successfully without mishaps, loss of belongings, illness or even a single argument between them.

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“Preparation is the key. There is no room to lose concentration and while driving, we made sure to avoid distractions like phone calls or chatting. We also had a clear rule – no alcohol, just as a safety measure,” Katti said, adding that the team returned to Pune on February 4 this year.

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a senior editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, he is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism on health, science, environment and research developments. She also has a keen interest in covering women’s issues. Professional Background Education: Gold Medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and Masters in Literature. Author: She is the author of the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, former chief scientist of the WHO. Key Focus: Combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human interest narratives. Awards and Recognitions Anuradha has won several awards including Press Council of India National Award for Excellence in Journalism in Gender Based Reporting Category in 2019 and Laadli Media Award (Gender Sensitivity -2024). She received the Lokmat Journalism Award (Gender Category-2022) and was also shortlisted for the RedInk Awards for Excellence in Journalism-2021. Her first book, At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan, the inaugural Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization, was also nominated in the People’s Choice category of the JK Paper AUTHER Awards. She has also held competitive fellowships including Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious India 2025 cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Featured Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer and Specialty Healthcare “Tata Memorial finds a way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells” (November 26, 2025): Report on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, Diet and Purpose; How a 97-Year-Old Professor Challenges Aging” (November 15, 2025) Report on Professor Gururaj Mutalik, the first head of department at Pune’s BJ Government Medical College, who at 97 attributes his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose 2. Environmental health (“Breathless” series. Pune”) Prolonged exposure to even “moderate” air causes chronic heart, lung and kidney problems” (November 26, 2025) – Part of a research series highlighting that even “safe” pollution levels are harmful to vital organs. “For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was a 6-8% increase in medicine sales” (November 23, 2025) – Using commercial data to demonstrate the direct link between air quality and respiratory diseases in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News “They Didn’t Let Cancer, Diabetes, and Heart Disease Stop Them From Traveling” (December 22, 2025) – A collaborative article featuring survivors sharing practical tips for traveling with chronic illnesses. At age 17, his blood pressure shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study points out why hypertension in children and adolescents doubled between 2000 and 2020” (November 12, 2025) – a report that focuses on a 17-year-old’s hypertensive crisis and reflects the growing global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Infrastructure and Recognition To promote science and communication and gender diversity: IUCAA professor featured in Nature” (November 25, 2025): Covers global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe” (December 3, 2025): A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe had only 1.5 billion years. , one of the first to be seen so far Signature Beat: Health, Science and Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her reporting on COVID-19, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed information on the trials of Covishield and Covaxin. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, and often profiles women researchers who are breaking the “leaky pipeline” in STEM fields. health experts from the institutions.
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