Shimla: Super hero bikers beat the four wheelers vehicles in the X-treme Raid de Himalaya 2011 by many miles as Helmut Frauwallner upset last years winner Ashish Moudhgil to win the event in the category that finishes in Srinagar today.
Speaking over phone, Raid de Himalaya spokesman Manjeev Bhalla said that the contest is getting hotter each year as the two wheelers beat the four wheelers in the overall positions.
He said that preliminary results showed that the first four wheel vehicle was at number 7 position in terms total penalties picked up over the six days of rallying in rough and rugged Himalayan roads.
Having maintained a lead from the start, Frauwallner, a Austrian national on a Husqvarna TE 449, consolidated on it as the Raid moved from mid hills into higher Himalayas and went past what has been described the highest motor rally road in the world.
Frauwallner is a clear winner in the X-treme motorcycle event, said Bhalla. In second position was last years winner Ashish Moudhgil.
The third and fourth position was bagged by Lehner brothers from Austria with Gottfried coming third and Johann fourth. In the motorcycle team event, Team Austria has won the 13th Raid de Himalaya, he said.
Not sure about the final result of four wheel X-treme category, Bhalla said that an audit of timings was being done to tabulate the result.
In the top reckoning was Suresh Rana, Harpreet Bawa and Shakti Bajaj, said Bhalla.
Winner of the 11th Raid Major Amaninder Brar who was in second position till Day Three was having vehicle trouble and suffered a shocker breakdown on Day Four to drop out of the rally, said the Raid spokesman.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
