FLORIDA-based cyclist and three-time champion Godfrey Pollydore outsprinted Warren ‘40’ McKay and his Roraima Bikers Club (RBC) teammate, defending champion Alonso Greaves, to take the first stage of the 28th annual National Sports Commission (NSC)-organised Independence three-stage cycle road race yesterday morning.
After being sent on their way by Director of Sport of the NSC, Neil Kumar, for their 46.6-mile journey, Greaves signalled his intention to retain the title he won for the first time last year with an overall time of 6:59:38, when he surged to the front a mere 20 minutes into the race.
He was joined by Mario Forde, the 20-year-old nephew of Barbados premier cyclist Barry Forde in the vicinity of Number 52 Village, Corriverton, before a peloton which included Pollydore, McKay, Jude Bently, Simon Clarke, Jai Seepersaud and Suriname’s Murvin Aronium, connected to them.
The breakaway bunch worked in tandem to establish a lead of approximately three minutes over the second peloton which included cyclists with the calibre of Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams, Robin Persaud, Aubrey Gordon, Raymond Newton, Albert Philander, Eric Sankar and Geron Williams just to name a few.
With the absence of one of the nation’s top sprinter in Darren Allen who took a self-imposed break from the sport due to academic commitment to the University of Guyana (UG), Pollydore established himself as the man to beat to the finish line, as he took the first stage in a time of 1:47:40, which was 7 minutes and 12 seconds slower that last year’s first stage time.
McKay, Greaves and Clarke occupied the important second to fourth position of the stage, which saw a bonus time of 10, 7, 5 and 3 seconds awarded to the first four finishers of each stage, while Forde who held his own with the frontrunners, finished eight seconds back.
USA-based Gordon, who, along with Olympian Aubrey Bryce always makes it his duty to return home to compete in this event, led the second peloton home 1:13 seconds behind the frontrunners. This was a clear indication of the hard work put in by the group, despite the muddy conditions the cyclists had to endure at certain sections of the course.