Day one separates, boys from the men as 41 competitors drop out
Shimla: By end of day one, the boys from the men were segregated in the tough Raid-de-Himalaya rally as 41 one competitors of the 120 who took off dropped out and by end of day two, last years winner Suresh Rana in a Gypsy king was in the lead again in the Extreme category.
A spokesman for the organizer said that of the 20 bikes in the extreme version that started out for Kaza from Manali in the morning 17 were still in the race and of the 15 cars 13 had been able to make, competing in the difficult high passes region of Rohtang and Kunzum La. In the Adventure Trial version 44 cars, by late evening, were still on their to the thousand year monastery locale of Taboo in Spiti valley.
Sources have reported that one car tumbled on the road to Kunzam La, but there were no causalities.
The Raid was delayed by an hour over Rohtang Pass as overnight snow hindered movement of vehicles, the organizers said. “The vehicles could only make it across after the tires were snow chained” said Anil Bhardwaj, spokesman for the organizers.
At end of the second leg for cars Harpreet Bawa was a close second to Suresh Rana, where as Ashish Moudgill, last years winner in the bikers category was again in the lead by end of the day. Sandeep Matharu was in second position among bikers, the organizers said.
Along Alier, a former Raid champion from Nagaland was in the race for the third position followed by Caption AS Brar for the fourth position, said Bhardwaj.
