`Fishy’ Williams returns to winning ways
MARLON `Fishy’ Williams returned to winning ways on the local scene yesterday by carting off the top prize in the Cell Smart/Digicel/NAPS 20-lap Cycle Road Race organised by the Kaieteur Cycle Club yesterday.
Williams who has been campaigning in the Twin Island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago for the past couple of years returned two hours one minute 20 seconds in winning the event from a strong field that included Alonzo Greaves, Warren McKay, Christopher Holder, Junior Niles, Tony Simone and John Charles among others.
Apart from winning the first prize of $30,000 cash and a trophy, Williams also won three prime prizes and two special prizes which he is to collect sometime this week.
Second was Greaves who also won two prime prizes, while Darren Allen placed third and won four prime prizes and one special prize.
Tony Simone was fourth and he won three prime prizes, while McKay placed fifth and Charles sixth.
Marlon Morrison won one prime prize, while Andrew Spencer of Linden won three.
In the junior category, Christopher Holder was the first junior to cross the finish line while Neil Reece and Paul DeNobrega finished second and third respectively.
The veteran’s category was won by Raymond Newton, while Niles and Robert Beaton finished second and third respectively.
There were also two BMX races over 1000 metres for riders 9-12 years of age as well as 12-14 years of age.
The race for 9-12 cyclists was won by Raymond Perez, while Deeraj Garbarran and Dineshwar Raghubeer were second and third respectively.
The 12-14 category was won by Davenand Bissoon from Darius Ramsammy and Perez respectively.
In the feature event which attracted 31 starters, Allen attacked the pack from the start but was pursued by Spencer who made an early connection and together the duo worked in tandem and maintained the lead for the first eight laps, before a bunch of five which included Williams, Greaves, Simone, Morrison and Spencer connected to them during the ninth lap.
Williams then jumped the pack and opened a small lead but was subsequently sucked in by the others while the main chasing pack was some distance away.
The lead by the race leaders increased with every lap, as those in the leading bunch worked together in setting the pace of the race.
Geron Williams, the National Sports Commission’s Junior Sportsman of the Year 2009 headed the main chasing pack and stayed on the pace for almost the remainder of the race, as he got no assistance from the other senior riders in his bunch and these included Warren McKay, a former Continental club mate of Williams.
With three laps remaining, the eventual top four finishers opened a one minute 10 second lead on the chasing pack that, at the time was still being headed by Geron Williams.
This lead was however shortened during the final lap as the leaders slowed down a bit, knowing that the finish is fast approaching, allowing the chasing pack to close in a bit on them.
However, as the leading quartet approached the Tropo Station on Carifesta Avenue, Marlon Williams went into over drive and held off a strong challenge from Greaves to win the inaugural event. Allen was not far off to take third place while Simone was a distant fourth.
In the sprint for the other top two positions, was started from the Carifesta Sports Complex by Geron Williams, but McKay found another gear and sailed past him (Williams) and was followed by Charles.
Prior to the presentation of prizes to the respective winners, there was a cultural display in the car park of the National Park and those that witnessed it were thrilled by the performances of the locals that performed.
In brief remarks, Digicel’s Country Manger David Atkinson called on the young cyclists to train hard and be good ambassadors for Guyana.
It is Atkinson’s wish that by the next eight or 12 years, Guyana would produce an Olympic medal winning cyclist.
National cycle coach Hassan Mohamad thanked Digicel for sponsoring the event and indicated that there might be similar events in Linden and Berbice shortly.