NSC/Mashramani Cycling Programme …
RORAIMA Bikers Club’s (RBC) Alonso Greaves avenged his defeat to Paul de Nobrega in last week’s season opener of this year’s calendar of events for cyclists by recording the fastest time (1:17.58s) to take the feature race in the National Sports Commission (NSC)-organised Mashramani cycling programme yesterday.
Close to 30 cyclists, including De Nobrega, Marlon and Geron Williams (no relation), Robin Persaud, Walter Grant-Stuart, Christopher Persaud, Eric Sankar, Alex Menes, Kurt La Rose and Berbice’s Neil Reece Jr, faced Joseph Britton for the start of the 35-lap event. Greaves signalled his intentions from the first lap when he made a move to the front of the peloton. He was joined by Thuran Harris, Andrew Spencer and Christopher Persaud, who was later dropped midway through the second lap.
A four-man pack that included La Rose, Reece, Marlon Williams and Linden Blackman had the frontrunners in their sight, with the main peloton 50 metres away, before Robin Persaud, Geron Williams and Mendes connected with the frontrunners as they approached the finish line for the start of the ninth lap.
They stayed together, working in tandem at an incredible pace that saw them pass the main peloton that included La Rose, Marlon Williams, Reece and De Nobrega, to hold a one-lap lead, as those who gathered at the venue to witness the day’s programme, opined that a faster time in the vicinity of 1:15m would be recorded.
Greaves who also won the first sprint prize, easily outsprinted Harris, Robin Persaud and Geron Williams, who each won two of the eight sprint prizes, to take the race, with Sankar and La Rose completing the top six positions, while Spencer took the other sprint prize.
In an invited comment with Chronicle Sport, Greaves, who back in 2008 had won the first-ever NSC/ Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport/Ministry of Health-organised five-stage cycle road race, said he was happy with the win while looking forward to a prosperous year in the saddle.
“When I woke up this morning, I felt happy and energetic. I wanted to go out from the first lap and set a pace that was conducive enough for me to dictate and having done such, I realised nobody could have stopped me from taking it.
“My aim this year is to dominate cycling in a way that was never seen before for the longest while, including carting off the Independence three-stage and the HIV/AIDS Awareness five-stage races, along with the regular road races, starting with the one tomorrow (today)” said the 22-year-old cyclist.
Linden’s Jamal Arthur set the wheels rolling for the day when he took the BMX Boys 6-9 category from Rashidi Ceres, before he was forced to settle for the runner-up spot behind Deoraj Garbarran in the BMX Boys 9-12 category, with Zayd Baksh finishing third.
Darius Ramsammy, Garbarran and Shondell Samuels took the top three positions in the BMX 12-14 category, before debutant Rawle Leal stole the BMX Boys and Girls 12-14 category from the seasoned pair of Hazina Barrette and Marica Dick, doing so in a time of 7.51secs.
Leon Haymer then won the Juveniles 10-lap event with a time of 23.48secs from Marlon King and Michael Anthony, with whom he shared one of the two sprint prizes. Dexter Wilson took the Upright five-lap event from Akeem Wilkinson and Andre Petty in a time of 12.33secs.
The Veterans Under-50 five-lap race was won by Harris who hails from Berbice in a time of 12.33secs with Kennard Lovell and former national hockey player Stephen Fernandes finishing second and third respectively.
Maurice Fagundes took the Veterans Over-60 category from Anthony Fariah and Harry Lall before watching Lancelot Rose capture the Veterans Over-50 category from Monty Parris, after which Greaves and company thrilled the sprinkling of spectators with their race.
The cyclists will turn their attention to the road today, when they compete in the NSC/Mashramani 40-mile race that pedals off at 09:00 h from the Demerara Harbour Bridge, proceeds to Bushy Park, East Bank Essequibo and back to the point of origin for the finish.
Geron Williams is the defending champion, but he will be pressed by Greaves, De Nobrega, Robin Persaud, Marlon Williams, Walter Grant-Stuart and Kurt La Rose, just to name a few, if he intends to retain the title.