NATIONAL cycling coach, Hassan Mohamed MS, has organised for the third year, the BK International-sponsored Cheddi Jagan Memorial 50-mile cycle road race, which pedals off this Sunday at 09:00 h from the Wales Police Station, proceeds to Bushy Park on the East Bank of Essequibo before returning to the Demerara Harbour Bridge for the finish.
The Veteran and Upright cyclists will turn back at Uitvlugt Community Centre to finish at the Harbour Bridge, while the Open and Junior cyclists will continue to Bushy Park, where they turn back for the finish line.
The first six finishers will receive prizes, along with the first three finishers in the Junior, Veteran and Upright categories, with special prizes to be awarded to the first two Female cyclists and Veteran Over-60 years. 
Eight prime prizes will be up for grabs during the race which has Raymond Newton as the defending Open category champion and Berbice’s Neil Reece Jr as the Junior champion and is also sponsored by Fazil Ramzan on behalf of the ruling People Progressive Party Group of Goed Fortuin.
Newton’s time for his victory last year was 2:03.43 secs, and judging from the performances displayed by the cyclists in last week’s race held in the ancient county of Berbice, where Junior Niles recorded a time of 2:08.39 secs, a faster event can be anticipated on Sunday.
Riders of the calibre of Niles, Alonso Greaves, Warren McKay, Robin Persaud, Ian Jackson, Eric Sankar, Enzo Matthews, Albert Philander and Alex Mendes are expected to turn in creditable performances and stop Newton from repeating as champion.
Judging from the recent performance of junior cyclist Raynauth Jeffrey, who has been creating upsets in the senior category, finishing ahead of several seasoned campaigners such as Greaves and Persaud in back-to-back races, Reece’s work will be cut out if he intends to repeat as Junior champion of this event.
Naomi Singh found her winning ways also when she took the female category of the first race from Marica Dick who was forced to withdraw after suffering cramps on the upward journey, and Linden’s Hazina Barrett.
Jackson shocked Kennard Lovell and Linden Blackman to take the Veterans category, but whether Virgil Jones, the defending champion, will face the starter this time around (he did not do so last Sunday) is left to be seen, but what is certain is Lovell will be looking to avenge his shocking loss to Jackson, as he said so openly.