Afghanistan dominate stage nine

Afghanistan’s Hashmatullah Barakzai takes the lead in stage nine of the Tour de Pakistan.

KARACHI:

Afghanistan’s Hashmatullah Barakzai took the lead in stage nine of the Tour de Pakistan, outpacing 56 other riders from Lahore to Gujrat.

Barakzai covered 115 kilometres in three hours 11 minutes and 36 seconds while Wapda’s Sabir Ali crossed the line 10 seconds later. Afghanistan’s Rameen Roofi secured third position in three hours 11 minutes and 56 seconds.

Although Barakzai won the stage, Sabir continues to lead with an overall margin of two minutes and six seconds.

“The weather conditions are great and this is the time for our cyclists to shine,” Afghanistan coach Hasan Mukarram told The Express Tribune. “We feel that SSGC are one of our toughest contenders. Their cyclist Nisar Ahmed is extremely talented on high terrain races.”

Meanwhile, Ahmed – who has won two other races last year, from Islamabad to Murree – feels that he has a greater chance of breaking into the top-five.

The cyclists will cover 150 kilometres in stage 10 today from Gujrat to Rawalpindi.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 19^th, 2011.