|
|
 |
 |
 |
| Monday, 13 December 2004 |
 |
|
 |
Sports | |
| News Business Features Editorial Security Politics World Letters Sports Obituaries
|
Standard cycles: It's Saman Kumara in a photo finish by Bernard Perera W. P. J. Saman Kumara won the standard event which was conducted along with the Tour de Lanka organised by the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited and conducted by the Interim Committee for Cycling in Sri Lanka. Saman Kumara clocked a time of 3 hrs 58 mts and 37 seconds to complete the 160 kilometre course from Colombo to Matara. The standard event attracted a total of 248 riders from all pats of the country. The race was flagged of by the Deputy Minister of Sports Sripathi Sooriyarathchi and Chairman ANCL Janadasa Pieris. The riders were in one bunch till it reached Wellawatte. They kept a very admirable speed on this stretch. The riders broke into three bunches before reaching Moratuwa. The first bunch, consisted of nearly 200 riders. None of the cyclists got the opportunity to break away. An accident at Beruwala saw the front liners break into two batches. Nearly 100 cyclists moved ahead keeping a lead of around 400 metres. The front riders did not face any obstacles from this point onwards, but the second faced further problems nearing Ratgama when an oncoming car blocked the riders. This caused one rider to leave the race. Here too the riders broke again making it five bunches. The front runners kept on moving smoothly keeping highly improved speed to nearly 40 km. Reaching Koggala, Saman Kumara, Nishantha Lakmal, Niranjan Fernando and H. A. Thusitha Dinesh Perera with a dash broke off from the bunch and kept on increasing the lead further and further. Entering Matara it was Saman Kumara and Nishantha Lakmal who went neck and neck to the finish. The final decision came in favour of Saman Kumara by a split second. Results: 1. W. P. J. Saman Kumara, 2. Nishantha Lakmal, 3. Niranjan Fernando, 4. H. A. Thusitha Dinesh Perera, 5. H. A. Saman, 6. G. Amal Susantha, 7. W. M. Weerasinghe, 8. Chaminda Suralith, 9. R. G. N. Amila Kumara, 10. K. Nihal Jayaratne. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security
Produced by Lake House |
