Mohamed believes Guyanese cyclists can win 3-stage event
Warren McKay
Warren McKay

… says teamwork is important

AS PREPARATIONS commence for the staging of the 32nd edition of the National Sports Commission (NSC) Independence three-stage cycle road race this year, national cycling coach Hassan Mohamed believes a local cyclist can come away with the top honours, when the event climaxes on Sunday, May 18, on Homestretch Avenue.

The last time a Guyanese copped the top podium spot, was four years ago when Roraima Bikers Club’s Warren McKay completed the 171.5-mile (274.3km) event in a time of 7h. 05mins:15secs, which stood as a record until Ivan Dominguez of Team Coco’s broke it two years later with his time of 6h.44mins:54secs.
Dominguez’s win started a trend which saw foreign cyclists come to these shores and take away the top prize for the next two years, as prior to Dominguez’s win, the previous winner was Yosmani Pol also of Team Coco’s, while Barbados’ Jamol Eastman took last year’s event with a time of 6h: 58mins: 13secs.
In fact, it is Pol who holds the record for the best times for the first two stages, having won the first stage in 2011, the same year he copped the overall title, riding from Corriverton to New Amsterdam for a distance of 46.6 miles (75km) in a time of 1h. 38mins:31secs.
The following year when Dominguez, his Team Coco’s teammate, copped the overall prize, Pol took the record for the second stage, Rosignol to Carifesta Avenue a distance of 60.4 miles (97.1km) with a time of 2h. 15mins:31secs.
Robin Persaud holds the third-stage record, which sees the cyclists compete from Kara Kara to Homestretch Avenue, a distance of 64.5 miles (103.3km), with his 2013 time, having stopped the clock at 2h. 40mins:54secs.
So what can be expected from local cyclists this year, if they intend to prevent a foreign cyclist from taking away the top prize, when the event pedals off on Saturday May 17 from Corriverton for the first leg?
“Nothing but team work and executing their game plan effectively,” said Mohamed.
“The Guyanese always have a chance, but the problem is the cyclists ride selfishly while the foreigners come and ride as a team every year and they need to work out the strategies they intend to use during the course of the race and execute them effectively.
“No coach can help them, they have to think for themselves and focus on what they wish to do, irrespective of which club they come from; for at the end of the day they are all Guyanese,” said Mohamed.
Using former cyclist and six-time winner of the event Dwayne ‘Road Hog’ Gibbs as an example, Mohamed said strategic planning guided Gibbs to his first title and the added five he won.
“Yes you can say that Gibbs had assistance from his club mates which enabled him to cart off the crown six times, but you still need to give him credit, as he is a good thinker and he knows what stage racing is all about, as time factor comes into play at the end of the day.
“And while we have the potential, which there is no doubt about, along with a young crop of cyclists who have been showing tremendous form on the local scene, I don’t see why we cannot stop a foreign competitor from taking the top prize this year,” said Mohamed.
He highlighted the fact that some cyclists enter the event short of training and mileage in their legs and at times that can be a humbug to not only the particular cyclists, but his teammates as well, since the event calls for teamwork.
“What is the difference with them is that they can outthink the Guyanese. I have seen on the road during events, cyclists chasing down their fellow Guyanese competitors during the event, which further underlines the selfishness among our cyclists.
“Yes everybody wants to win, but in this event, teamwork is essential in order to prevent a foreign cyclist from being victorious. Every club has numbers, but they need to ride as a team, as it is very bad to know foreign cyclists coming here to compete and taking the top prize.”
He added, “They are throwing away the potential they have because of their inability to think. In cycling, it makes no sense you have a head and no pair of legs and no sense you have a pair of legs and no head, as it calls for coordination which is very, very important.
“The foreign cyclists who have won this event over the past years are not superhuman beings, they are humans just like you and me, but whatever you put in that is what you will get out. For a race of this nature, some of them don’t have the mileage in their legs and that is important as well.”
Mohamed called on the cyclists to put in the hard work, get the miles in their legs, as the intensity of the event calls for endurance and they should be in their saddles at least five or six hours when the weekend comes, especially when they are not competing.
He closed by saying all the logistics are in place for this year’s event, adding that he has already spoken with the necessary individuals including the Guyana Police Force, to ensure a smooth execution, while he recently made a trip to Berbice and put systems in place.
“I know we have the potential to beat the foreign cyclists. We are giving the riders here, at least two and three races per month, whether it is in the National Park or on the roadways and how they work it out is all up to them, but I know from the depths of my heart, they have the potential to win the event away from a foreign competitor, when the race finishes on Homestretch Avenue on May 18.”
The Guyanese brigade of Geron Williams (6h: 58m: 20s), Orville Hinds (6h: 58m: 25s), Alanzo Greaves (6h: 58m: 26s), Raynauth Jeffrey (6h: 58m: 33s) and Raul Leal (6h: 58m: 33s) rounded off the top finishers behind Eastman in that order.
Although Jeffrey and Leal gained the same time, Jeffrey secured the fifth spot by virtue of crossing the line ahead of Leal throughout the event, but his Team Coco (Guyana) partner had reasons to smile, as he was the leading junior cyclist, finishing ahead of Hamza Eastman and Stephano Husbands, who ended in second and third spots, respectively.
Horace Burrowes, who finished seventh overall with a time of six hours, 59 minutes was the winner of the Veterans’ category, while Naomi Singh of East Coast Demerara was among the four females who participated in the two-day activity, but was the lone competitor on the distaff side to start all three stages.

(By Calvin Roberts)

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