IT WAS a case of experience versus ambition yesterday when the National Sports Commission’s (NSC) 39th annual `Teach Them Young’ cycle programme culminated at the National Park inner circuit with an evaluation 11-race programme.
In the feature event over 35 laps, veteran rider Robin Persaud upstaged his much younger counterparts to win the event in one hour 16 minutes 32.56 seconds, but that time was not good enough to better the time of last year’s winner Hamza Eastman who had returned one hour 15 minutes 42.46 seconds.
Eastman was absent from yesterday’s event as he is currently in the United States training and competing with a number of other top local cyclists.
Another veteran, Junior Niles, held on for second place and also claimed two prime prizes. Jamal John, who had earlier in the day won the 10-lap race for juveniles, placed third and won two prime prizes, while Paul DeNobrega, who won three prime prizes, was fourth, Raul Leal was fifth and another veteran Paul Cho-Wee-Nam placed sixth.
Raphael Leung placed second to John in the Juveniles’ 10-lap event with Kenwell Moses occupying the third spot.
John’s winning time for the event was 25 minutes 28.72 seconds which is slower than the time recorded by last year’s winner Stephano Husbands who had clocked 21minutes 47.95 seconds.
In the feature race, Persaud, Niles, John, DeNobrega, Mark Harris and Jaleel Jackson and Moses broke from the pack as early as the first lap and established a lead that was never closed.
However, after staying a few laps with the leading bunch, Jackson and Moses were dropped from the pack which, after 25 laps managed to establish a sizeable lead over the chasing pack of Akeem Wilkinson, Cho-Wee-Nam, Harris, Alex Mendes, Leer Nunes, Christopher Griffith and Leal.
With five laps remaining, the chasing pack trailed the leaders by approximately 125 metres but they never managed to come closer.
At the bell lap, Niles led the leading pack, while Cho-Wee-Nam was heading the chasing pack some 120 metres behind.
Coming for the finish, Persaud jumped the other three at the 130-metre mark and cruised to a comfortable win.
In other results from the day’s programme which was organised by national cycle coach Hassan Mohamed, Alexander Leung was the winner of the BMX Boys 6-9 years old two-lap event. Second was Simon Chee and in third place was John Niles.
Zab Jones won the three-lap race for BMX Boys 9-12 years old.
Adelin Hodge was the winner of the three-lap event for BMX Boys 12-14 years of age. Second was Thamar Garbarran.
The presentation of prizes to the respective winners was done by NSC’s Administrative Officer Gervy Harry.
Prior to the presentation, Mohamed thanked all the participants for their presence and noted that some of the students, who participated in the eight-week `Teach Them Young’ programme, were able to secure victories or be among the top three finishers in their events.
Hodge was rewarded with a BMX cycle, compliments of Ricks and Sari Agro Group of Companies – not for winning the BMX Boys 12-14 race, but for being a part of the annual `Teach Them Young’ programme. According to Mohamed, Hodge braved the weather early in the programme and was also very attentive and disciplined throughout the programme.