Cross Country Champianship 2014
Posted On: February 22, 2014 By : AutoLife TeamBlessed with bright sunny skies, the National Mountain Bike Cross Country Championship welcomed the cycling season with style. The 25th of January 2014 marked the 13th edition of the championship which took place in Chobhar, Kathmandu. Jointly organized by the Chobhar Tourism Development Society, Jalbinayak Community Forest Group and other non-governmental organizations as part of the First Lumbini National Championship, the event has further cemented the ever strengthening cycling community.
The race was split into three categories. The elite category comprised of six laps of 4.8 km each, while the open, women and junior category had 4 laps of 3.5 km each. Competing through technical and rough terrains, the competitors laid it all on the line. Ajay Pandit bagged the first place for the fourth consecutive time clocking in a time of 1 hour 35 minutes and 28 seconds, defeating Narayan Gopal Maharjan and Raj Kumar Shrestha who crossed the finish line with a timing of 1 hour 37 minutes 50 seconds and 1 hour 41 minutes 42 seconds respectively. The open category was dominated by Mandil Pradhan, finishing the four laps in 59 minutes and 3.5 seconds, followed by Rajeev Chand and Sakar Yakthumba with a time of 1 hour 8 minutes and 1 hour 33 minutes respectively.
Similarly, Laxmi Magar, Keshari Thapa Magar and Humei Budamagar made it to the podium in the women category. Laxmi finished the race with a time of 1 hour 22 minutes 50 seconds while it was cut throat battle for the second and third position with Budamagar falling only 34 seconds behind Keshari who finished the race with a time of 1 hour 29 minutes 12 seconds. Winner of MegaKids Megavalanche 2013, Chris Keeling clinched gold in the junior category coming in at a blazing 55 minutes 54 seconds, followed by Kiran Rai and Arun Karki with times of 1 hour 1 minute and 11 seconds and 1 hour 4 minutes and 33 seconds. All of them finished with better times than the winners of the open category.