-Barrett retains female title
DIFFERENTLY-ABLED cyclist Walter Grant-Stuart yesterday shocked his competitors when he stormed away with the senior road race championship when the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) held their national championships.
While Grant- Stuart who rides for Continental Cycle Club (CCC) created a major upset, Linden’s Hazina Barrett retained the female title over Naomi Singh, while Junior Niles and Grant-Stuart’s club mate Paul De Nobrega took the Veteran’s and junior titles respectively.
After being sent on their way by national cycling coach Hassan Mohammed in front of Ocean View Hotel, Linden’s Mark Lewis made a solo move to the front and stayed there until he was caught by the chasing peloton which included Grant-Stuart, defending champion Warren Mc Kay, Alonso Greaves, Robin Persaud, Albert Philander, Enzo Mathews and Eric Sankar, just to name a few, at LBI.
They stayed together until they reached Annandale, from where Matthews, Persaud, Mc Kay and Greaves went to front but were wheeled in at Melanie, as their competitors refused to let any cyclist make a break on their own.
Numerous cat and mouse games ensued after and even though Philander held a 250 metres lead over the peloton at the Abary Bridge where they made the turn for the downward journey and even after same was made, he too was caught at Burma Road.
Greaves made a move  at Ann’s Grove but was wheeled in as they passed through Victoria, but when the one handed Grant-Stuart who led most of the chase throughout the journey went to front as they passed  COURTS (Guyana) Incorporated bond at Montrose, no cyclist was able to catch up with him.
He was a lone ranger, crossing the finish line in an unchallenged time of 3h:09:21 ahead of Roraima Bikers Club’s Greaves and Mc Kay who crossed the line 32 seconds after Grant-Stuart to claim the second and third place positions respectively.
In the Veteran category, Niles made his move to front as the peloton approached Buxton on the upward journey and never looked back as he proceeded to Mahaica where he turned back and made his way to the place of origin, doing so in a time of 1h 47:28seconds.
Former national hockey player Stephen Fernandes was second with a time of 1: 48:22 while Andrew Phang was third.   Barret edged Singh at the line to take the female category in a time of 1: 52: 31, with Berbice’s Marica Dick who encountered mechanical problems with her bicycle, finishing third eight minutes after.
In the junior category, De Nobrega took that title from the Berbice Flying Ace Cycle Club duo of Ray Millington and Jeban Crawford, in a time of 2: 22:49.
However, controversy surrounded the second and third place finishers on more than one occasion, with 15 year old Michael Anthony who hails from Linden, being awarded the official second place at the end of the race, but was disqualified for being under age.
Millington had officially finished third and was elevated to second following Anthony’s disqualification, with Raynauth Jeffrey occupying the new third place position.
But after he (Jeffrey) received his bronze medal, same was taken away from him and handed to Crawford, following several cries of robbery from cycling enthusiasts who approached the GCF’s executives who were present and demanded the decision be reversed.
Following an investigation between the cyclists involved and a testimony from De Nobrega, Crawford was handed the bronze medal, while a disgruntled Jeffrey and his guardian left the scene empty handed.
Asked to comment on the controversy that followed, president of the GCF Cheryl Thompson said the International governing body for cycling would not accept any results showing a 15 year old placing second in a junior category, since a junior cyclist must be 17 years old during the year of competition.
One concerned cycling official who chose to remain anonymous, told Chronicle Sport that once the GCF is working according to the rules of the international governing body, then Grant-Stuart should be displaced as the champion and same be handed to Greaves, with Mc Kay second and Persaud third.