Suresh, Ashish win Raid-de-Himalaya rally

Shimla, Oct 8 (IANS) Suresh Rana and Ashish Moudgil won the Maruti Suzuki Raid-de-Himalaya in the car and bike categories, respectively.

The eight-day 'Raid', stretching across 2,400 km, tested both man and machine to the ultimate in the most rugged and inhospitable terrain of trans-Himalayas.

'Suresh has become the five-time champion in the X-treme, while Ashish has won the rally for the third time in the bike category,' Manjeev Bhalla of the Himalayan Motorsport Association (HMA), Wednesday told IANS from Leh.

The HMA, an unit of the Federation of Motorsport Clubs of India, has been organising the 'Raid' since 1999.

Bhaskar Rumani, who was leading in the bike category till day five, was injured in an accident near Baralacha pass, one of the world's highest motorable roads.

Out of 132 professionals, participating in the rally, only 83 completed till final round.