BASED on the present form of Carlton Wheelers Cycle Club’s (CWCC) Robin Persaud and Raynauth Jeffrey, defending Guyoil/Castrol Father’s Day road race champion Walter Grant-Stuart will be hard-pressed to successfully retain his title when the 13th edition of the race pedals off this Sunday. The race will commence at Wales Police Station at 09:00h and proceed to Bushy Park on the East Bank of Essequibo where the cyclists will turn back and head to the Demerara Harbour Bridge for the finish.
However, veterans, upright and female cyclists will turn back and head to the finish line of the race which Grant-Stuart won in a time of 1h.54mins:00secs last year, at Uitvlugt Community Centre.
Cyclists of the calibre of Alonso Greaves, Albert Philander, Warren McKay, Junior Niles, Raymond Newton, Orville Hinds, Jude Bently, Raul Leal, Michael Anthony and defending junior champion Paul De Nobrega, will be contending with Persaud and Jeffrey for Grant-Stuart’s crown in this event.
The first six finishers will receive prizes, along with the first three junior, veterans and upright cyclists, coupled with the first two females and first Over-60 veteran, while there are eight sprint prizes up for grabs during the event.
Apart from Grant-Stuart and De Nobrega, other category winners for last year’s event were Kennard Lovell (Veteran), Richard Charles (Upright), Hazina Barrett (Female) and Walter Isaacs (Over-60 Veteran).
Representatives from Guyoil/Castrol will be on hand to assist with the distribution of prizes at the completion of the event.
Meanwhile, the cyclists will be in action around the inner circuit of the National Park this Saturday, when they do battle in the twelfth annual P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants-sponsored race programme.
Greaves is the defending champion for the School Boys and Invitational 35-lap race, which is the feature event on the 11-race programme, having won last year’s event in a time of 1h.17mins:21.81secs and, like Grant-Stuart, he will find it difficult to retain his title.
Anthony won the Juveniles 100lap event, Lovell the Veterans five-laps and Barrett the Boys and Girls 12 to 14 three laps of this programme, which pedals at 09:00hrs. Representatives of the sponsor will assist in the distribution of the various prizes won at the end of the race.