Defending champion Ajay Pandit Chherti finished first among 20 national and international riders covering a distance of 56 km from Dhading Besi to Gorkha on a day that witnessed a drizzle.[break]
“The weather is adverse in the area but rainfall won´t stop the race,” said Chimi Orgen Gurung, the president of Nepal Cycling Association. “They have to travel across deep snow in the later stages and the rainfall is nothing compared to what they have to face ahead,” he added.
Chhetri completed the race in 2 hours 35 minutes 19 seconds ahead of Narayan Gopal Maharjan by six minutes and three seconds as the route headed towards the Himalayan foothills, ascending to a height of 1700m in the rustic countryside. Rajiv Rai claimed the third position with the timing of 2 hours 46 minutes 41 seconds.
Chhetri leads the overall timing by 6 hours 43 minutes 53 seconds in the third day of the race that kicked off from Buddhanilkantha, Kathmandu on Monday.
The experienced national player is ahead of 20th ranked Mike McCabe of the UK by almost seven hours. Second placed Maharjan is trailing behind Chhetri by 22 minutes and 21 seconds as the going gets tougher in the harsh terrain with breadth taking scenery.
In a span of two days, the twenty riders -- including eight foreigners -- traveled the less traveled road from the historic Nuwakot Palace to the Gorkha Palace.
The fourth stage in the 12-day-long event will see the riders travel 61 km from Gorkha to Besisahar, Lamjung in the undulating Himalayan trail.
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