The Air Force which celebrate its 67th anniversary this year and will conduct their annual ‘GuwanSavariya’ Cycle Tour to coincide with the same on a grand scale. The celebrations are to start off with the Cycle tour on 2 nd of March and will come to an end 4th at Ampara.
The organizers have also arrange to hold a Women’s cycle race covering a distance of 65kilo meters from Batticaloa to Ampara. These details were disclosed to the media on Thursday at the Air force Headquarters Audtorium by the Cycling Committee of Sri Lanka Air Force.
The cycling Tour will be conducted by the Cycling Federation of Sri Lanka according to the international rules implemented by the world governing body the sport.
The men’s event is will see all leading riders in the country in action as this will also be the first race to be ridden by these riders for the year 2018. This year too there will riders from India and Pakistan to challenge the our local riders.
The peddlers will commence their race from opposite Air Force Head quarters at 8.00a.m. and will ride to Puttalam covering a distance of 127 kilometers on the first day. These riders enter the second say with the start from Puttalam to Anuradhapura 166 kilometers which is also the longest peddlers have to ride to finish the day in Hingurakgoda.
The riders will start off the final stage from Polonnaruwa and peddle via Batticaloa to Ampara a distance of 150 kilo meters to end the tour after covering a total of 440 kilo meters.
On the first stage there will be two Sprints for the riders at Wennappuwa and Battuluoya. The second which is the longest from Puttalam to Polonnaruwa wil have three sprints located Rajangana, Anuradhapura and Palugaswewa. The final stage and the last lap of the race will be with two sprint locations at Punani, Kaladi and Periya Kallar and the riders will ride up to finish line opposite Youth center in the heart of the Ampara Town.
The women’s event is to start off from Batticaloa and the women peddlers will ride for 65 kilo meters to finish at the same location in Ampara. This women’s event is scheduled to be flagged off at 7.30a.m.
Riders who under the age 23 will also face the starter and they too follow the same route specified above from Colombo to Ampara. The winner and two runners up will be awarded cash prizes. The cash awards for Youth event under 23 will be as follows Rs. 40,000, 25,000 and 15,000 respectively.
The winners will be selected according to the overall timing and stage winners are to take away Rs. 15.000 first stage. Rs.10,000 second stage and 5,000 respectively while the overall stage winner gets R. 10.000.
The organizers have decided to offer cash awards up to fifteenth position for the men and women events with the overall winner of both these classes going away with Rs. 100,000, two runners up receiving Rs. 75.000 and 50,000 respectively. There is a special award for the team event amounting to Rs. 75,000 and 50,000.
In addition to cycle tour the Sri Lanka Air force has made arrangements to conduct a ‘Mini Tatoo’ to show the strength they are packed with in Force.
With this arrangement the Organizers hope educate the general public in the Eastern Province all weaponery available and to get a close look at these and also to get a close view of all kinds of planes belonging to Air Force.
This Show will be free of charge all visitors who are keen to have a closer of available strength and power of Air Force. This show will be on from March 2 - 3 at Ampara Town.
Sri Lanka Air Force has also planned to conduct an Air Display, Parachute Display, a Display by its Regimental Special Forces and an Air Dog Display to show the public of the their strength.
The Awards ceremony will be followed by a musical show which is to commence at 7.p.m. with a leading band in attendance along with many popular singers until mid night.
Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force Air Marshal Kapila Jayampathy will be the chief guest on the final day and the Awards ceremony and will give away the awards.