Pollydore snatches Linden to Georgetown third leg
..Team Cocos dominates as Pol sets new record time
THE United States-based Team Cocos club cyclist Yosimi Pol carted off the honours as he broke the record time of 6 hours 54 minutes 59 seconds replacing it with a time of 6 hours 39 minutes 51 seconds at the end of the 29th Annual Independence Anniversary Three Stage Cycle Race after placing third yesterday in the final leg, Kara Kara, Linden to Georgetown ride which finished on Home Stretch Avenue, as Warren McKay once again occupied second spot behind the winner Godfrey Pollydore.
This saw the curtains come down on the three stage race which attracted over 80 cyclists in the first stage and as the elimination progressed it was 75 in the second and 43 by the final and third leg.
At the closing ceremony held at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Minister of Sport Dr Frank Anthony congratulated the winners and the visiting teams for making the event the success it was.
Dr.Anthony said “this race has been improving in quality, want to keep it that way and when friends from other countries come and participate it helps us to lift the competitive spirit that we have seen throughout this race.”
Others at the presentation ceremony were Director of Sport Neil Kumar and President of the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) Ms Cheryl Thompson and  Permanent Secretary within  the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport Alfred King.
This year’s race attracted twenty three foreign cyclists from the United States (Team Cocos), Trinidad and Tobago’s Heat Wave, Team Anguilla and Team Suriname, along with Team Guyana and other local cyclists who competed for the top prizes.
It also proved to be the biggest in the 29 year history of the event which is the brain child of National Cycling Coach Hassan Mohammed.
Seasoned campaigner Godfrey Pollydore edged home the snaking field in a swarming blanket finish at the line, to beat a tactical field over 65 miles, in what probably is a new record time of 2 hours 46 minutes 22 seconds.
He won the battle of the third and final stage, with McKay who was very consistent being content on second again, with Pol who took the first and second legs, holding down the third spot and eventually winning the war over the three stages, as the top three were clocked at the same time for the Georgetown to Linden stanza.
Pol was always on course to break the overall time record for this event of 6 hours 54 minutes 59 seconds set in 1998 by Godfrey Pollydore, lowering it unbelievably by 15 minutes 8 seconds. Of note also was, in the end, the top ten finishers actually completed the overall distance within the previous record timing.
Pol’s eventual smashing of the overall record was presumed when he won the first leg from Corriverton to New Amsterdam in 1 hour 38 minutes 31 seconds, which replaced the previous best of 1 hr 42 minutes and the second from Rosignol to Carifesta Avenue with another record time of 2 hours 15 minutes 31 seconds to wipe away the previous record time of 2 hours 23 minutes.
What was clear also was that Team Cocos was the superior team overall as their tactics proved a lesson for the competing cyclists as to how you ride team events, since they were not firing as they had done in the two previous stages, not over extending their effort and protecting their champion rider Pol.
Their total effort in the third stage from Kara  Kara Linden to Georgetown,  therefore, ensured themselves being the champion team in the end.
Second to Pol in the overall standings was Warren McKay who was timed  at 6 hours 40 minutes and 03 seconds, while Frank Tarveiso was 10 seconds slower as Phillip Clarke who was fourth clocked at 6 hours 40 minutes 24 seconds, and the next five positions namely for fifth, sixth, seventh , eight and ninth positions taken by Joshua Alexander, Antonio Quintoro and Jose Frank Rodriguez, Gerado Rodriguez and Jose Novaro all timed at 6 hours 42 minutes and 26 seconds and the tenth spot taken by Godfrey Pollydore in a time of 6 hours 43 minutes and 41 seconds.
The first junior cyclist to finish yesterday’s Linden to Georgetown race was Paul DeNobrega in 6 hours 54 minutes 57 seconds while the veteran category winner was Antonio Quintero of Team Cocos.
Thirteen year old Surinamese cyclist Jamil Hearberg and fourteen year old Rawle Leal were handed trophies for completing the third stage as was female cyclist Naomi Singh.
The 18 prime point prizes were shared among ten cyclists, six were won by Jose Navaro, two each by Lacoste, Frank Tarveiso and Warren McKay, and one each by Albert Philander, Levar Alonzo, Robin Persaud, Ryan Hunter, Enzo Matthews and Junior Niles.
The first stage was won by Pol from McKay and Robin Persaud, the second also won by Pol from McKay and Frank Tarveiso and the third captured by Pollydore ahead of McKay and Pol.
Ian ‘Dumb Boy’ Jackson was the recipient of a brand new cycle frame from Ian Davis, president and owner of Team Cocos, also handed a similar prize was Eric Sankar, as Junior Niles received a brand new wheel.