GUYANA will be celebrating its 45th Independence Anniversary on Thursday  May 26 and, as is customary for the past 18 years, cyclists, attached to clubs affiliated with the Guyana Cycling Federation, will be gearing up for the 172.3-mile three-stage road race. The Florida-based Team Coco is expected to invade Guyana once again. This event was first held in 1993 with only upright cyclists competing and as it grew bigger, it began to attract cyclists from the Caribbean and even the international Diaspora, with cyclists from neighbouring Suriname coming to battle for supremacy. 
The first stage of this year’s race pedals off on Saturday May 14 from Corriverton to New Amsterdam covering a distance of 46.6 miles, with the second stage occurring the same day from Rosignol to Georgetown, a distance of 62.4 miles.
The third and final stage will see the remaining cyclists pedal off from Kara Kara in Linden and proceed to Homestretch Avenue in Georgetown for the finish the following morning, completing a distance of 63.3 miles in the process.
At last year’s fourth annual Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport/Ministry of Health-organised ‘Ride for Life’, team Coco’s Antonio Quintero rode off with the first of five stages which was enough to earn him the top prize of US$1 000, the first time a non-Guyanese won the event.
Tentatively, Quintero and his teammates including speedster Frank Travieso have signalled their intentions to compete in this year’s Independence three-stage race, which would serve as an eye-opener to the locally based clubs, since teamwork was the order of the day from the Florida-based club, who worked to preserve Quintero’s lead.
While the field has not been known for this year’s three-stage event, cyclists of the calibre of Godfrey Pollydore, Dwayne Gibbs, Marlon Williams and defending champion Warren ‘40’ McKay, who all campaign overseas, are expected to grace these shores with their presence.
McKay won last year’s event in a time of 7:47.40 seconds, with Paul de Nobrega and Raymond Newton taking home the junior and veteran categories respectively, while Newton finished in the fourth position overall.
Pollydore took the first stage in a record time of 1:47.40 with McKay and Eric Sankar taking the second and third stages in a time of 2:33.09 seconds and 2:44.11 seconds respectively.
Judging from the present form of Alonso Greaves, Robin Persaud, Darren Allen, Junior Niles, Kennard Lovell, Ian ‘Dumb Boy’ Jackson and Walter Grant-Stuart just to name a few, Team Coco could have their work cut out for them, but then again, the Guyanese need to ride as a team with their respective teammates.
Transportation leaves the National Sports Commission on Friday, May 13, at 12:30 h for Corriverton and cyclists desirous of competing in this event are reminded to wear their club uniforms or they will not be allowed to compete, unless they are doing so independently, with same being indicated to the GCF as soon as possible.