Tour de Sri Lanka Youth:

Cyclists to cover 358 km

YASARATNE GMAGE

Tour de Sri Lanka Youth, the racing and standard men’s cycle race organized by National Youth Services Council and Youth Affairs and Skills Development Ministry will start today in Batticaloa.

The inaugural event will comprise of two categories and the racing class will cover a distance of 358 kilometres from Baticaloa to Matara while the standard cycles will be ridden 70 kilometres, starting at 8.30 am today from the same point, in front of the Baticaloa public library.

The three day event which sees renowned cyclists in action, will finish at Matara on December 10. The first day in the racing category, cyclists will pass through Kattankudy, Padirippu, Kalmunai, Sammanthurai, Ampara, Damana, Pallewela to Siyambalanduwa to complete a distance of 128 Km.

Fans in Kodayana, Moneragala, Buttala, Wellawaya, Thanamalwila, Lunugamwehera, Tissamaharama, Mirijjawila and Ambalantota will witness the mega race on the second day and the competitors will cycle another 157 km.

The final stage where they cycle 73 km will be through Ranna , Tangalle, Dikwella to finish the race in Matara to complete a total distance of 358 kilometres.

Minister Dalas Alahapperuma and deputy minister Duminda Dissanayaka will grace the opening ceremony in Baticaloa and the award presentation in Matara according to the Youth Affairs and Skills Development Ministry sources.

The event is expected to encourage the Sri Lankan youth for sports and recreation while promoting peace and harmony among different individuals. According to the organizers, the main objective of this event is to promote youth engagement in the nation’s development and bring out the feeling of a single nation to the society in a terror-free country with Mahinda Chinthana Vision.

The champion rider will walk away with one of the biggest cash prizes awarded in the Sri Lankan cycling history while a number of valuable cash awards will be on offer for cyclists finishing upto the 25th position. In addition, all the cyclists who finish the three stages will receive cash awards.