… defends road race title this morning
CARLTON Wheelers Cycle Club’s (CWCC) Robin Persaud rode a tactical race to take the feature event of the 21st Annual R&R International-sponsored Mashramani cycling programme, in a time of 1.17:34s. The programme was organised by national cycling coach Hassan Mohamed and held around the inner circuit of the National Park yesterday. Close to 40 cyclists faced the starter’s orders, including defending champion Alonso Greaves, Leer Nunes, Raymond ‘Steely’ Newton, Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams, Paul De Nobrega, Raynauth Jeffrey, Orville Hinds, Mark Lewis, Walter Grant-Stuart, Enzo Matthews and the in-form Warren ‘40’ McKay.
Newton, Jeffrey, De Nobrega and Hinds broke away from the peloton during the fifth lap and opened a lead of 75 metres over the chasing trio, which included Grant-Stuart, Williams and the eventual winner Persaud who worked in tandem to reduce the front runners’ lead.
A second peloton which included Greaves, McKay, Nunes, Eric Sankar, Matthews, Lewis and others, worked feverishly to connect with the trio in front of them, who were themselves made to work hard to connect with the quartet in front of them.
During the course of the 15th lap, the field was reduced to 25 cyclists overall, as the seven cyclists in front, including the leading quartet, turned up the heat, clocking close to 1:45s per lap at that stage, while Greaves called it quits during the 22nd lap, with some pundits saying he is saving his energy for this morning’s 40-mile event.
Unfortunately, Hinds suffered a flat back wheel with seven laps to go and even as his teammates debated whether to have him change the wheel or give him a new bike to continue with the front runners, Persaud, Grant-Stuart and Williams passed him during this process.
At this stage of the race, only seven cyclists were battling for the top six positions and with five laps to go, Persaud, Grant-Stuart and Williams caught up with Newton, Jeffrey and De Nobrega, while Hinds connected with the front-runners with two laps to go.
However, Persaud produced the last hurrah when he jumped the pack with less than 250 metres away from the finish line, to finish half a cycle length from Williams, with Newton, Hinds, De Nobrega and Grant-Stuart completing the top six.
There were eight sprint prizes up for grabs during the event, with Jeffrey who finished seventh even though he was well placed to occupy a better spot, taking three, Hinds two, Newton, De Nobrega and Grant-Stuart one each.
De Nobrega had earlier taken the Junior/Juveniles 10-lap event in a time of 23:27:61 over Jeffrey and Kurt La Rose, with the first two finishers breaking away from the peloton midway the first lap, a strong testimony of their dominance of this level so far this year.
Naomi Singh pedalled off the day’s proceedings with a victory in the Boys and Girls 12 to 14 event, doing so with a time of 8:26:33 over Alfa Sonaram and Stephan Lovell, before Adrian Sharma won the BMX 12 to 14 category race from Yusuf Latiff and Khemraj Sanichar respectively.
Jamal Arthur was a double winner in the BMX 6 to 9 and 9 to 12 categories, doing so over Tarun Garbarran and Denzil Huntley in the former and Philbert Walters and Huntley in the latter.
The Veterans Under-50 race was won by Newton over Kennard Lovell and Thurman Harris. Kirkwood Kellman took the Veterans Over-50 from Lance Rose and Wilfred Thom while Monty Parris was an easy winner in the Over-60 category with Harry Lall and Maurice Fagundes placing second and third respectively.
Mikhail Diaz was a dominant cyclist in the BMX Open three-lap event, as he made his move to the front of the three-man field immediately after being sent off by the starter and stayed their unchallenged, with Cleveland Forde (not the long distance athlete) and Ricardo Sharma finishing second and third.
The riders will turn their attention to the West Bank Demerara carriageway this morning, when they compete in the 40-mile road race, commencing at the Demerara Harbour Bridge, proceeding to Bushy Park on the East Bank of Essequibo and back to the place of origin for the finish.
The first six finishers overall, along with the first two veterans and junior cyclists will receive prizes for this event. Persaud, the defending champion, took last year’s event in a time of 1.42:41s. There will be six prime prizes up for grabs.
Former cyclist and Managing Director of R & R International Limited, Jacob Rambarran, is expected to distribute the prizes to the respective winners at the completion of the event.