RORAIMA Bikers Club’s Alanzo Greaves’ dream year continued, when he top the field to take the inaugural United Bike Shop-sponsored 70-mile road race after a thrilling four-man sprint to the finish line, stopping the clock at 2h. 44m: 55 seconds, while chalking up his 22nd win of the year.

He led to the finish line and onto the podium, last year’s and this year’s National Road Race champions in Raynauth Jeffrey and Orville Hinds, while Geron Williams, Akeem Wilkinson and Greaves RBC teammate Warren ‘40’ McKay completed the top six paying positions.
Apart from riding away with the first prize, which was a cycle frame worth US$1200 (G$240 000) for his win, Greaves also sped off with three sprint prizes that were up for grabs during the event which saw the 54 cyclists pedal from Homestretch Avenue, proceed to Dora on the Linden Highway and back to Craig on the East Bank of Demerara for the finish.
In an invited comment after the event, the 24-year-old Greaves said, “I felt like a beast on the bike today. I had no complaints mechanical-wise, I just stayed focused and caught the main breaks and that was it. I know my sprinting ability and I’m thankful for the win.”
The event started at a fast clip, with nine riders breaking away from the rest of the 54 starters just as they passed the Guyana National Stadium at Providence.
These riders which included Greaves, Williams, Wilkinson, Rastaff Oselmo, Delroy Hinds, Michael Anthony, Paul DeNobrega, Walter Grant-Stuart and Hamza Eastman rode in tandem but were wheeled in at Dora by a wave of riders in the chase peloton.
At this point, Greaves and Wilkinson orchestrated a two-man breakaway but Hinds, Jeffrey and Williams connected at Splashmins and the five cyclists rode as a unit until Jeffrey unsuccessfully staged a solo attack about a mile from the finish.
The tireless Jeffrey was promptly pursued and caught by Greaves, Williams and Hinds as Wilkinson failed to change gears and with just under 200 metres to go, the four riders were still together snaking until Greaves had enough and used his superior sprinting ability to power across the finish line.
Other category winners yesterday were Junior Niles (Veterans), Ozia McAulay (Mountain Bike), Naomi Singh (Female) and Michael Anthony (Junior) who were all awarded a pair of wheels worth US$450 (G$90 000).
Niles took the Veterans category from Ian Jackson and Talim Shaw, Anthony the Junior category over Shaquille Agard and Hamza Eastman, and Singh the Female category over her lone competitor, Toshawna Doris.
There were also BMX races which were won by Amo Jones (12-13 years), Jaleel Jackson (13-15 years) and Jamal John (Open).
Former cycling standout and Managing Director of the United Bike Shop, Horace Burrowes, congratulated all the cyclists for competing in the successful event and promised that next year’s edition would be even more lucrative.

(Calvin Roberts)