NIDUS NIRANTHA WINS TOUR DE AIR FORCE IN GRAND STYLE
Twenty-two-year-old Nidus Nirantha rode at a scorching speed to emerge champion at the Tour DeAir Force (Guan Hamuda Pa Pedi Savariya) three-day event held in three stages. Nidus is a member of the Sri Lanka Air Force Cycling Club. The entire distance of the race was 432 km.
Nidus took 10 hours, 32 minutes and five seconds to complete the race. The first stage was from Colombo to Matale involving 158 km and Nidus completed this stage in first place returning a time of 4 hours 4.00.30. The second stage was from Dambula to Puttalam involving a distance of 134 km and Nirantha finished in fourth place with a time of 3.27.30. All the leading ten cyclists returned the identical time of 3.27.30.
The third and final stage was from Palavi in Puttalam to Colombo to a distance of 129 km. Here Nidus Nirantha finished fourth with a time of 3.04.17. Incidentally all the leading ten cyclists to finish the race clocked the same time of 3.04.17. A close tussle was witnessed in all three stages with the leading cyclists finishing in a cluster. Nidus Nirantha was also the youngest cyclist at 22 years and received a trophy for this as well.
The Sprint Champion at the event was Jeevan Jayasinghe also of Air Force SC and the trophy for the Mountain Champion went to Suranga Ranaweera of Dehiwela/Mt. Lavinia Cycle Club.
Second Overall Winner was Buddhika Warnakulasuriya also of the Air Force Cycling Club. Buddhika took 10 hours, 11 seconds to complete the event. Buddhika was the overall winner of the Tour De Air Force in 2014.
The Overall third place was won by C.M. Viran of the Ports Authority with a time of 10.32. 13.
U.D. Sriyalatha of the Sri Lanka Navy was the winner of the women’s cycle race held in conjunction with the Tour De Air Force to a distance of 83 km from Katunayake to Colombo. Second and third places in the women’s race went to Dinesha Dilrukshi and Iresha Ranasinghe respectively both from Sri Lanka Air Force.
Sri Lanka Air Force bagged the men and women’s Team Championship events as well. This event was held to mark the 64th Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Air Force and the event was organised for the 16th successive year by the SLAF. Before the event cyclists from India and Pakistan – six each from these countries – had indicated that they would be sending teams, but had called off taking part in the event at the last moment.
The event was spearheaded by Air Marshall Kolitha Gunatilleke andAbans handed over prize money amounting to Rs. 1.4 million to the winners. The event was conducted by the Sri Lanka Cycling Federation.