PRIOR to the presentation of prizes of last week’s 18th annual Ricks and Sari-sponsored cycle programme, which took place around the recently resurfaced inner circuit of the National Park, national cycling coach Hassan Mohammed urged the cyclists to continue training, and he will provide  races for them. True to his word, Mohammed has organised two race meetings for today and tomorrow in collaboration with the National Sports Council (NSC), as part of Guyana’s 41st Republic Anniversary celebrations, commencing with an 11-race programme around the inner circuit of the National Park.
The action will continue tomorrow with the first road race of the year. The cyclists will pedal off from the Demerara Harbour Bridge at 09:00 h, proceed to Bushy Park, Parika, and back to the place of origin, covering a distance of 40 miles.
Today’s action will get under way at 09:00 h also, with a BMX Girls one-lap event, followed by a BMX Boys 6-9 two-lap event and three BMX races over three laps for Boys 9-12, 12-14 and Boys and Girls 12-14 years and BMX Open respectively.
Upright, Veterans Under-50 and Over-50 will contest individual races that run for five laps each, followed by the Juveniles 10-lap event and then the feature race for Schoolboys and Invitational cyclists over 35 laps.
No doubt, cyclists of the calibere of Alonso Greaves, Robin Persaud, Marlon Williams, Enzo Matthews, Rastaff Oselmo, Mark Lewis and Kurt La Rose, will be looking to stop Paul De Nobrega, who surprised the field to take last week’s feature event, from recording back-to-back wins on the newly re-laid surface.
In tomorrow’s action, the first six cyclists to complete the distance will receive prizes along with the first two junior and veteran cyclist, apart from the six sprint prizes up for grabs during the race. Director of Sport in the NSC, Neil Kumar, is expected to assist with the distribution of prizes at both events.