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Sri Lanka’s longest across the country cycle race organised by Sri Lanka Telecom successfully came to an end on 8 September in Kuliyapitiya.
Gihan Pushpakumara of Team Sri Lanka Army (SL Army) won the overall championship of the five-day race securing the first price of Rs. 1 million. Prabath Madusanka of Team Sri Lanka Navy (SL Navy) and Viran Ramesh of Team Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) were the Overall 1st Runner-up and Overall 2nd Runner-up winners respectively winning the prices of Rs. 500,000 and Rs. 300,000.
The women’s race; Dinesha Dilrukshi, Sudarika Priyadarshani and Sulochana Panchali of Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) secured all top three overall winning positions securing prices of Rs. 250,000, Rs. 200,000 and Rs. 150,000 respectively. G. P. I. R. Kumara won the Para cycling event and A. M. P. K. Attanayake and J. Udayakumara Jayalath won the 1st Runner-up and 2nd Runner-up winners respectively.
The winning price and the trophy were presented to winners in the presence of Minister of Education Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, Kuliyapitiya Municipal Council Mayor Lakshman Adhikari, Sri Lanka Telecom Group Chairman P.G. Kumarasinghe Sirisena, Cycling Federation of Sri Lanka Chairman N. Karunarathne, Sri Lanka Telecom Chief Executive Officer Kiththi Perera, Sri Lanka Telecom Chief Operating Officer Priyantha Fernandez, Sri Lanka Telecom Group Chief Marketing Officer Ajantha Seneviratne and several other officials who attended the price giving ceremony.
The men’s race started on 4 September from Colombo and met the finish line on 8 September in Kuliyapitiya, completing the 820km long journey. The women’s race was held on 7 and 8 September marking it as the first time in the cycling history in Sri Lanka that a two-day Colombo-Kuliyapitiya 175km long event had been organised for the women cyclists. Changing the cycling landscape of the country, Kurunegala to Kuliyapitiya 75km long, the first ever para cycling event was also held on 8 September.
The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) Team won the Men’s Overall Best team award. Sri Lanka Army (SL Army) and Sri Lanka Navy (SL Navy) won the Men’s Overall 1st Runner-up and Overall 2nd Runner-up winners respectively. Viran Ramesh of Team SLPA achieved the King of the Mountain, Madonza Avishka of Team SLPA won Best Sprinter and Prabath Madusanka of SL Navy won Best Young Rider positions as well.
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Team won the Women’s Overall Best team award. Sri Lanka Army (SL Army) and Sri Lanka Navy (SL Navy) won the Women’s Overall 1st Runner-up and Overall 2nd Runner-up winners respectively. Dinesha Dilrukshi, Sudarika Priyadarshani and Sulochana Panchali of Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) secured top three winning positions of the women’s race Best Sprinter category. Sulochana Panchali won the Best Young Rider, Dinesha Dilrukshi won the King of Mountain positions as well.
The winners of day 5 Men’s race marking the finish line in Kuliyapitiya: The winner Madhushan De Silva of Team Dehiwala-Mt. Lavinia Municipal Council (DMMC), 1st Runner-Up Nidush Nirantha Fernando of Team Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), and 2nd Runner-Up Pinthu Sandaruwan of Team Sri Lanka Army (SL Army).
