All set for 3rd Sri Lanka T-Cup International Cycle Tour
The 3rd edition of the Sri Lanka T-Cup International Cycle Tour will be held from May 10- 12 from Pasikudah to Negombo- a distance of 350 km. The event is sponsored and organised by Lanka Sportreizen (LSR) and conducted by the Cycling Federation of Sri Lanka (CFSL) and Union Cyclists Internationale (UCI).
Along with 5 local teams, 13 foreign teams from Asia and Europe will participate in the event. Though 38 foreign teams had requested to take part in the event, the organisers permitted only 13 of them to take part.
The 5 local teams in the race are, Sri Lanka Air Force, Sri Lanka Navy, Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Ports Authority and Homagama Stefenali. The first 10 to complete the course will receive prize money amounting to US$ 24,235. LKR 22 million will be spent to organise the event.
A press conference took place with LSR ChairmanManaging Director Tilak Weerasinghe and CFSL President N. Karunaratne at the Olympic House, where it was stated there are 700 races of this nature worldwide, with 35 in Asia, but the only race in South Asia is the one in Sri Lanka. Their target is to take the Lanka T-Cup Race to the 5th place in Asia in the next 5 years.
Going down memory lane, some of the events they have organised include the "LSR Colombo Marathon", "Rumble in the Jungle" - Mountain Biking Challenge, "Vittel Amazon" Adventure Challenge, "WQS Surfing with the Au s t r a l i a n Surfing Professionals" and "Sri Lankan Golf Classic".
LSR is a firm believer that by providing opportunities for such activities in Sri Lanka, the country could be positioned as a paradise for Recreational Activities. Furthermore, it has been noted that, due to the rigorous nature of Mountain Biking, there are people who are not desirous of taking part in such events and are very keen on using Racing Bicycles.