Legendary cyclist and three times winner of the Tour de Lanka A. M. Sumanaweera dead at aged 78, family sources confirmed over the weekend.
Champion rider Sumanaweera who was well-known as a ‘hill-climbing’ professional in cycle racing, had made his debut in the 1984 Tour de Lanka representing the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC).
The late Sumanaweera who was warmly known as ‘Sumane’, among his colleagues and fans alike, had won that grueling event on three occasions in 1984, 1985 and 1986 and he had also taken part in the last Tour de Lanka held in 1996.
‘Sumane’ who was 49 years old at the time, had been placed 17th in the overall standings with a time of 17 hours 23 minutes 43.01 seconds, covering a distance of 601 kms in three stages-Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, Anuradhapura and back.
It is said that even with tyre punches and change of cycles, the veteran rider had finished in all three stages of 601 kms.
Well-known cyclist Maurice Coomaravel was the first to win the Tour de Lanka three times in a row-1965, 1966 and 1967.
The early A. M. Sumanaweera was also part of the legendary triumvirate of cyclists in Sri Lanka, who ruled the roost in the sport in the 1980s, the other two being Boniface Perera and N. Karunaratne, who was known in the circles as ‘Cycle Karu’. The funeral arrangements of A.M. Sumanaweera are to be notified later.
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