The third annual T-Cup cycling tour from coast to coast organized by Lanka Sportreizen will get off to a start on May 10 on a new format with 13 foreign teams participating along with five local teams.
The new format was disclosed by pioneer of the T-Cup Tour Thilak Weerasinghe addressing a press briefing last Wednesday at the NOC auditorium. The event which runs for three days from the Eastern coast to the Western coast will be supervised by officials of the Cycling Federation of Sri Lanka along with foreign judges.
Weerasinghe said that Sri Lanka’s Coast to Coast Tour named as T-Cup has received 2.2 ranking points from the world body as the two tours were completed on a grand scale which received high commendations from participants and visitors who were here for the event.
“These recommendations allowed us to invite foreign participants. Our invitations were highly accepted by the cycling federations of 38 countries. Though we received such a large number of entries the organizers had to prune it down to 13 foreign teams and five local teams,” he said. He said the teams were reduced due to technical issues such as accommodation, transportation and other essential needs for foreigners.
“We need to provide all facilities to riders and their officials in a highly acceptable manner which we are unable to arrange in a very short period of time. We hope to increase the number next year by planning on high level to attract more teams,” said Weerasinghe.
The riders will start off from Pasikudah to Mahiyangana covering a distance of 133 kilo meteres and then on to Kandy on a gruelling run covering a further 92 kilo metres.
The final stage from Kandy to Negombo will cover a distance of 125 kilo metres which has more flat surfaces than the first two stages producing the highest speeds and will be the most interesting for spectators as well as for the riders.
The whole Tour will cover a distance of 350 kilo meters and come to an end on the Negombo beach front.
Foreign teams participating are from Australia (2), France, Hong Kong (3), Indonesia, Japan (2), Malaysia, Philippines (2), Singapore and Thailand. The five local teams are Army, Navy, Air Force, Ports Authority and Steffinel Cycling Club.