Martyrs Memorial Road Race
-Benjamin retains Veteran’s title
RORAIMA Bikers Club (RBC) Albert Philander rode away with the 2010 Ballot Box Martyrs Memorial cycle road race from his club mate and defending champion Warren ‘40’Mc Kay in the Ancient County of Berbice yesterday.

While Mc Kay lost his senior title, Berbice’s Gary Benjamin who also wears the crown as the national Veteran race champion, easily retained his Veteran’s title once again.

After being sent on their way by Regional Chairman of Region Six Zulfikar Mustapha, Mc Kay signaled his intentions to retain his title when he made a move to the front as the peloton turned the long winding Number 19 Road, where he was joined by Junior Niles and young Ricky Kissoon.

The trio worked in tandem at the front of the 73 miles journey, before Mc Kay made his move to the front just before the turn back point in front of the Springlands Police Station, where he was joined by Niles, Kissoon, Philander, Robin Persaud, Ian Jackson and Neil Reece.

But it was Philander who rode a tactical race from the back of the peloton, after Niles and company had made their move early in the race, that came out victorious when he surged to the front 400 metres from the finish line taking the race in a time of 2h 08:40 seconds.

Mc Kay, Persaud, Niles, Jackson and Reece all completed the top six positions, with Mc Kay carting off four of the eight sprint prizes that were up for grabs, Niles two and Reece and Kissoon one each.

In the veterans’ category, Benjamin, who has been recording a string of success this year, came out on top from Linden Blackman and his fellow Berbician Toran Harris, leaving Kennard Lovell who suffered cramps while passing through Number 42 Village, to settle for fourth position.

Apart from placing sixth overall, Reece also took home the junior category from his nemesis Paul De Nobrega and Dellon Desa respectively, while Linden’s Hassena Barrett continues to dominate local female cycling when she took that category from Berbice’s Marica Dick and Naomi Singh respectively.

The upright category which like the Veterans and female category completed their course in front of the Tagore Memorial Secondary School on the upward journey, was won by Mario King from Kevin Edwards and Mark Harris respectively.

Prior to the cyclists being sent on their way at 09:00h by Mustapha, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports and leader of the Progressive Youth Organization (PYO) Dr. Frank Anthony expressed his pleasure at the response given to the race by the cyclists.

“I am very pleased to have so many cyclists out here today competing in this event that is being held to commemorate the lives of two of our comrades from the PYO who lost their lives 37 years ago.

What I am pleased to say here also is that while we have decided to make this event an annual one on the calendar of local cycling, we will be running off a female softball cricket competition, as the Ministry of Sports seeks to increase the repertoire of events that is being held to commemorate the lives of those two slain men.”