Thursday, June 14, 2007

What achievement?

Eddy Merckx achieved this in 1974 and Ireland's Stephen Roche achieved this in 1987. Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain are the only two other people who have come close to achieving this. What is the Achievement?

Winning the TripleCrown of Cycling ( Winning the Giro , Tour de France and world Cycling Championship)

Asterix and cycling

Which cycling legend featured as a fast runner in the comic album Asterix in Belgium?

Eddy Mercxx

Which Bike Rider?

Born in Lakewood , California , he was the first American to win the Tour de France. He is also one of the 8 people to have won the Tour De France 3 times or more. He won the Tour ede France for the first time in 1986 and was shot in a hunting accident in 1987. But he came back to win the tour in 1989 and 1990. Who is this person?


Greg Lemond --- Gregory James LeMond. He won teh 1989 Tour de France by the lowest margin ever - 8 Seconds.He used the novel aero bars to give him significant aerodynamic advantage in the final time trial on the last stage.

Whoitiz?

Born as Lance Edward Gunderson on the 18th of September 1971, he was nicknamed Mellow Johnny ( which was a corruption of a French term to which he was closely associated).

Lance Armstrong - Winner of the Tour de France from 1999- 2005. Founder of the Livestrong foundation for cancer. Mellow Johnny is a corruption of the French Term Maillot Jaune ( Yellow Jersey).

Grand Tours - Which race ?

The Tour de France, Giro d'Italia( Tour of Italy) and which other race in the UCI(Union Cycliste Internationale) calender make up the Grand Tours of Europe ?


Vuelta a Espana.

First held in 1935 and annually since 1955, the Vuelta runs for three weeks in a changing route across Spain. The inaugural event (1935) saw 50 entrants face a 3411 km (2,119 mi.) course over only 14 stages, averaging over 240km (149 mi.) per stage. It was inspired by the success of the Tours in France and Italy, and the boost they brought to the circulations of their sponsoring newspapers (L'Auto and La Gazzetta dello Sport respectively); Juan Pujol of the daily Informaciones instigated the race to increase his circulation. (Source : Wikipedia)

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Which god of the Pantheon of Hindu Gods?

In ancient Hindu Art, He is represented as red , two faced with Black eyes and Hair , three legs and seven arms. He is depicted as riding a Ram or a chariot pulled by goats or rarely by parrots. His name is the first word of the first hymn of the Rigveda. Who is this deity of the Pantheon of Hindu Gods?


Agni. The first line of the first hymn of Rigveda goes this way


agním īḷe puróhitaṃ / yajñásya devám ṛtvíjam / hótāraṃ ratnadhâtamam

which means -- Agni I laud, the high priest, god, minister of sacrifice, The invoker, lavishest of wealth.