THE eighth annual `Ride for Life’ five-stage cycle road race will be staged from October 16 to 19 and will cover a distance of approximately 266 miles.

The four-day event, which is open to all local cyclists, is expected to attract a number of overseas-based Guyanese cyclists as well as foreign riders and is expected to be a scorcher, as most of the local-based pedal-pushers will be seeking to out-pedal their foreign-based counterparts as well as those from the Region and further afield.
The first stage gets under way at 07:30hrs from outside the Corriverton Police Station and concludes at Alexander Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice, a distance of 46.6 miles.
Stage two (60.4 miles) will commence from 14:00hrs the same day and will wheel off from the Rosignol Stelling road and conclude on Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown.
The third stage will commence at 09:00hrs from outside the Wales Police Station, West Bank Demerara and conclude at Bushy Park, East Bank Essequibo, a journey of 35 miles.
From there the cyclists will be transported by boat to Essequibo Coast and the following day, they will do battle over 67.1 miles, starting from Supenaam at 07:30hrs and will proceed to Charity then return to Suddie for the finish.
The fifth and final stage pedals off at 08:30hrs from Kara Kara, Linden Highway and concludes on Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown.
Raynauth Jeffrey is the defending champion in the open category, while Hamza Eastman and Raymond Newton won the juniors and veterans’ categories last year.
Jeffrey’s time last year was 10 hours 5 minutes 33 seconds while Eastman clocked 10 hours 9 minutes 56 seconds.
Newton stopped the clock last year at 10 hours 9 minutes 57 seconds.

(By Michael DaSilva)