Abstract A practical and efficient synthesis of ethyl 1, 2, 4-triazole-3-carboxylate (6a, R'= H) from ethyl carboethoxyformimidate hydrochloride (7) is described. Alkylation of this heterocycle with the chloromethyl ethers of 1, 3-O-dibenzylbutane-1, 2R, 3S-triol (8a) and 1, 3, 4-O-tribenzylbutane-1, 2R, 3S, 4-tetrol (8b), followed by conversion of the ester function to the amide and deprotection, furnished the chiral 1′, 2′-seco-nucleosides of ribavirin, ...