8 Nations. 100 Participants. Cycling from Point Pedro to Dondra Head

The cycling culture is quickly gaining traction in Colombo and its suburbs. With the introduction of many cycling centres and cycling paths, Sri Lanka is steadily making its way to bringing about the love for cycling to the people. One person striving towards achieving this is cycling enthusiast Yasas Hewage, and his efforts continue to inspire many others to engage in this adrenaline pumping activity.

Yasas has, yet again, brought back the “Race the Pearl” campaign. Organised by Spinner, “Race the Pearl” is essentially a 24-hour cycling challenge. This year, they returned with the 4^th edition of the race, which was concluded on the 6^th of February, 2022. The race aimed to support the “Wheels For Wheel Foundation” to achieve the goal of 10,000 wheelchairs for children with mobility challenges due to Cerebral Palsy.

So, what is “Race the Pearl”?

In a nutshell, it’s an event where cyclists would ride from Point Pedro to Dondra Head. They complete 600 km of flatlands, uphills, downhills and barren lands within a span of 24 hours. The participants would put themselves through extreme physical and mental challenges in an attempt to ride their bicycles across the pearl of the Indian Ocean.

This year there were 100 riders who participated, including 6 women. In addition to Sri Lanka, there were partakers from seven other nations – UK, USA, Australia, Mexico, Kyrgyzstan, Germany and France. This year, the race included 22 individual riders, and 78 relay riders competing in 16 teams. These riders were supported by 32 crew teams in support vehicles, who themselves endured over 24 hours of riding.

This race comprised 3 pit stops for the cyclists to recharge and carry on with their expedition to complete the challenge. The riders could opt for the 24-hour Solo, 24-hour Ultra Challenge, 2 Day Challenge (32 hours) or the Team Relay (which includes 2 to 5 members) to complete the challenge.

Here are the top cyclists who completed the challenge:

Solo Category

Salvadaor Lopez (Mexico) – 25:27:06

Sumedha Rathnayake (Female, Sri Lanka) – SL 27:45:50

Agnes Safford (Female, USA) – 27:58:49

Ultra-Category

Ruwan Jayamanna (Sri Lanka) – 22:11:20

Francios Comptdaer (France) – 22:24:29

Saman Perera  (Sri Lanka) – 23:57:57

 Team Relay Category – 11 teams made the cut

Kelani Cycling – 18:06:08

Fun Bee Cycling – 19:06:43

Pedal Amici – 19:30:19

 

Race The Pearl Sri Lanka is a qualifying event for the prestigious Race Across America. They hope to commence the 5^th edition of the race on the 5^th of November, 2022. For further details, check out their website at www.racethepearl.com.

We would like to congratulate the participants who engaged in the 4^th edition of the race, and we hope that this event inspires other cyclists in Sri Lanka to take on the challenge to immerse themselves in an unforgettable experience!

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