Tissera bounce back to win Tour third stage

By Susil Premalal  
Elite Pool Cyclist Pasindu Tissera of Army Sports Club bounced back to win first place in the third stage of the 25th Tour de Air Force Men’s Racing Cycling event held from Polonnaruwa to Trincomalee yesterday.   
The event commemorates the 73rd Anniversary of the Sri Lanka Air Force. Like the previous races, competitors from the South Asian regional air forces are also participating in the race.   
Tissera returned a time of 3.02.08s to complete the course of 125.7km having earlier clinched the second place of stage two from Kandy to Polonnaruwa.  
Meanwhile, Sanju Deemantha of Air Force SC took second place in stage three and Shehal Chamod (Sri Lanka Police SC ) was placed third with all three competitors returning the identical time of 3:02.08s.  

The event, conducted by the Cycling Union of Sri Lanka Air Force, began from opposite the Galle Face Green in Colombo on Sunday and the five-stage race will conclude on March 7 from opposite the Duraiappa Stadium in Jaffna covering 654km.  
The Tour de Air Force Race has already covered 367.2km from the first three stages and the fourth and penultimate stage will take place from Trincomalee to Vavuniya covering 139.4km.  
Meanwhile, the 13th edition of the Tour de Air Force Women’s Race will be held tomorrow from Maankulam to Jaffna covering 98km.