Ikeda emerges winner of SriLankan Holidays’ Rumble in the Jungle 2016

Sri Lanka’s premier mountain biking challenge, SriLankan Holidays’ Rumble in the Jungle 2016, a four day cycling challenge across some of the island’s most challenging picturesque terrains, reached its finish last Friday.

Japanese rider, Yuki Ikeda, emerged the winner of the challenge with a record time of 13:52:12  while Ajay Pandit Chhetri of Nepal and Jason Miles of UK, became the first and the second runners up, respectively. Their respective timings were 14:02:50 and 14:07:00.

SriLankan rider, Sumedha Crooz managed to reserve a place among the top 15, with his timing of 17:20:40.

Thirty-seven riders, representing 14 countries, rode off from Kuda Oya in the Moneragala district to Haputale on the Day One of the challenge last week. Having rode around Haputale’s rough terrain and off-road trails, they proceeded to Nuwara Eliya on Day Three, on a route that allowed the sighting of Sri Lanka’s highest waterfall, Bambarakanda. The fourth and the final day was a downhiller’s delight as the riders took the descent from Ramboda to Kandy, the Capital of Central Sri Lanka.

Rumble in the Jungle 2016 is organised by international mountain bike race organizer The Yak Attack, in association with title sponsor, the national carrier’s leisure arm, SriLankan Holidays and Sri Lanka’s best known professional adventure sports promoter Lanka Sportreizen.

This was the second time the national carrier played a pivotal role in the event, following the overwhelming success of its first edition in 2014.