Joseph Periera has made his name as the first solo cyclist from Mangalore to conquer the Deccan Cliffhanger Ultra Cycling Race, covering 643 km in 33 hours and 45 minutes on Sunday. Having seen teams from We R Cycling (WERC), Mangalore, participating in the earlier editions, Joseph expressed his desire with WERC to ride Cliffhanger. WERC connected him to mentor and coach Gratian Govias. WERC’s Ashok Lobo became the lead crew to support him in the race. While Mr. Govias reached Mangalore from Chennai, the team left for Pune on November 17. Joseph said he was flagged off at 5.30 a.m. on Saturday and there were 12 racers in the 50-plus age category. With support from the crew and guidance from Mr. Govias, he began leaving behind those who had crossed him earlier. The team completed the adventure in 33 hours 45 minutes touching the finish line in Goa at 2.30 p.m. on Sunday. The support crew included Shivanand Rao, Nithin Mohan, and Brijesh Balakrishnan.

By completing the Deccan Cliffhanger race, Joseph not only became the first Mangalorean to complete the solo race but also qualified for the Race Across America (RAAM) too.