Sri Lanka Army cyclist Pathum Sampath has won the overall championship of the inaugural Police Cycling Tour, taking the title after three days of racing that finished in Colombo on Thursday, NewsFirst reported.
The race was organised to mark the 160th anniversary of the Sri Lanka Police, which fell on the same day the tour concluded.
The route
The three-stage race began on Tuesday in front of Police Headquarters in Colombo. The opening stage covered 141 kilometres and finished in Dambulla.
The second stage started from Dambulla on Wednesday, with riders covering 137.3 kilometres to Puttalam. Winners of that day’s competition were felicitated at a ceremony presided over by Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police for the North Western Province, Ajith Rohana.
The decisive third stage ran 131 kilometres from Puttalam on Thursday morning. The peloton passed through Chilaw, Marawila, Negombo, Ja-Ela, Peliyagoda, Orugodawatta and Dematagoda before finishing in front of Police Headquarters, where the race had started. Riders averaged 42.15 kilometres per hour over the final stage.
The result
Sampath won the final stage in 3 hours, 6 minutes and 47 seconds, a result that secured him the overall title across all three stages.
Niran Pasindu, also of the Sri Lanka Army, finished second overall. Avishka Madonsa of the Dehiwala-Mount Lavinia Municipal Council was third. The Sri Lanka Army also took the team championship.
What the winner said
“First of all, I would like to thank the Sri Lanka Police and all its officers for organizing a competition of this nature to elevate the sport of cycling,” Sampath said after the win.
“This victory was achieved through a collective team effort. Over the three days, it was a race that constantly shifted and was largely driven by the sprinters. As a team, our goal was to bring the overall championship to the Sri Lanka Army, and we are delighted to have achieved that objective.”
Not reported
NewsFirst was the only verified newsroom carrying the result at the time of writing; neither Ada Derana nor Hiru News had filed on the race. The report does not give the overall winning time or the margins between the top three, does not say how many riders started or finished, and does not name the other stage winners. It does not say whether the tour is intended to become an annual fixture.
