Four-day 2nd Tour de Khunjerab cycle race to begin on 27th of this month

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Four-day 2nd Tour de Khunjerab cycle race to begin on 27th of this month

June 19, 2019

Four-day 2nd Tour de Khunjerab cycle race will begin on 27th of this month with an aim to promote the sport and popularize the tourist destination in the fabulous Northern Areas.

The race will start from Gilgit and after covering the long distance it will end at Khunjerab top. Tour de Khunjerab final stage starts at 2800 meters and finishes at 4700 meters.

Cyclists from Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, Sindh and Islamabad in addition to two international teams of Afghanistan and Sri Lanka will be competing for the glory.

The objective of the event is to introduce adventure tourism in Gilgit Baltistan and its target is to engage the local youth in sports.

Briefing the media about the event in Islamabad today, Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Minister Fida Hussain said the event is aimed at exploiting tourism potential of Gilgit-Baltistan and projecting soft image of Pakistan.

He said sustainable economic growth is linked with promotion of tourism.

 

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More than 100 cyclists take part in Pakistan’s first international cycling event Tour de Khunjerab

Tour de Khunjerab is the first international cycling event on the world’s highest road at 15,300 feet

Published: May 12, 2018 20:51
By Sana Jamal

The cyclists covered nearly 73 km on the first day, before completing 74km on the second day.Image Credit: Tour de Khunjerab organisers
Islamabad: More than a hundred cyclists are participating in Pakistan’s first international cycling race, the ‘Tour de Khunjerab’, pedalling past scenic mountains and earning the applause of the locals of Gilgit-Baltistan.

The three-day cycle race ‘Tour de Khunjerab 2018’ began on Karakoram Highway from Gilgit city on Friday. The race will end at Khunjerab Pass Sunday.

4,200 ft height of point at which the cycling race started
The pass, which lies between Pakistan and China at an altitude of 15,400 feet, is the world’s highest paved international border famously referred to as the ‘Roof of the World’.

As many as 107 cyclists in 12 teams are participating in the event organised by the Pakistan Cycling Federation in collaboration with Government of Gilgit-Baltistan.


Talking to Gulf News, Gilgit Division Commissioner Usman Ahmad said: “This is Pakistan’s first international cycling event in which more than 100 cyclists, including teams from other countries such as Afghanistan and Switzerland, are participating. The event started [at] 4,500 feet above sea level in Gilgit city and [will end] at a height of 15,400 feet above sea level.”

Pakistan Cycling Federation vice-president Mohammad Haroon claimed that “this is the world’s first cycling race being held at [a] record high altitude [of] 16,000 feet above sea level.”

Expressing gratitude for the Gilgit-Baltistan government who made all the arrangements for the successful cycling event, Haroon told Gulf News that “decent medical staff and facilities such as ambulances are available in case of emergencies.”

Security measures

107 cyclists from 12 teams that are participating
Strict security measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of the cyclists, while traffic will also be suspended at Karakoram Highway when cyclists are expected to pass through the area.

The cyclists will cover a distance of nearly 250km.

In the first leg of the race, they covered nearly 73km starting from Gilgit and ending at Rakaposhi viewpoint in Nagar district.

The second 74 km stage started at the Rakaposhi View point and culminated at Passu. 250 km distance to be covered by the cyclists On the third day, cyclists will pedal 84 km from Sost to Khunjerab Pass.

The closing ceremony is set for Karimabad Hunza today where the winners will get certificates and prizes.

Abdul Razzaq from Team Balochistan paddled past his fellow cyclists, winning the first stage of the Tour de Khunjerab, before taking victory once more on second day.

The cyclists were warmly welcomed by locals and some even joined them including a group of 28 young girls from the region who completed 8km ride with the professional cyclists.

The closing ceremony is set for Karimabad Hunza today where the winners will get certificates and prizes.

 

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