Bentley takes feature event amidst controversy
INDEPENDENT cyclist Jude Bentley stunned a high-profile lineup to take the feature event in the 12th annual P&P Insurance Brokers-sponsored cycle race programme which was held around the inner circuit of the National Park yesterday. Bentley’s winning time of 1h.18:26 for the 35-lap event, was a strong testament of the superiority that was displayed during the race by Leer Nunes and Raymond Newton and himself, after they broke away from the peloton and held a 23 seconds lead, which was increased as the laps went by, during the third lap.
Thirty-seven cyclists faced Joseph Britton for the start of the event, before which they were given specific orders as it relates to the race, where, once cyclists were lapped, they will have to exit the race as soon as possible, when told to do so.
With this in mind, the pace-leading trio at the front, saw them overtake a star-studded field that included reigning national road race champion Walter Grant-Stuart, who was also the defending champion for this event.
Alonso Greaves, who suffered a puncture during the fourth lap, Warren ‘40’ McKay, Robin Persaud, Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams, Kurt La Rose, Kennard Lovell and Naomi Singh, just to name a few, were all in the peloton that was overtaken by the front trio.
A quintet of cyclists, namely Raynauth Jeffrey, Junior Niles, Paul De Nobrega, Enzo Matthews and Raul Leal, had broken away from the peloton and had created their own lead over the main peloton before the overtaking occurred.
The controversy started when the main peloton was overtaken in the 16th lap of the race, with some spectators calling on Britton to pull the defaulting cyclists out of the event, a cry that fell on deaf ears, and carried on to the finish, when it came to deciding who got the final two top positions.
This was after the vast-improving Jeffrey had asserted himself as the fourth-placed finisher behind Bentley, Nunes and Newton, when he pulled away from Niles, De Nobrega, Matthews and Leal with eight laps to go.
The front trio connected with and rode alongside some members of the peloton who were overtaken, while Niles, Matthews, De Nobrega and Leal who were a short distance away, wee later caught.
With two laps to go, Bentley and Nunes made a move to front, while Newton who knew his third position was not in jeopardy, opted to stay in the peloton and while some members of the peloton should have been given a two-lap warning from Britton, they got a bell warning.
This resulted in an unnecessary sprint to the finish line between McKay and Greaves, his Roraima Bikers Club teammate, with the former coming out victorious and being awarded the fifth spot, with Greaves sixth.
In true sportsmanship, along with numerous cries of foul from cycling enthusiasts who crowded the officials at the finish line, McKay and Greaves refused to accept the positions, saying instead that Matthews and Niles finished in fifth and sixth position respectively.
Of the eight spring prizes that were up for grabs, Bentley and Nunes took three while Newton took home the other two, another testament of their dominance over the field in the event.
Isaiah Sahadeo got things started for the day, when he won the BMX 6-9 category from Christopher Goring and Richard Nunes, which was followed by Jamal Arthur’s victory in the 9-12 category over Britton John and Tamim Ghabarran respectively.
Adrian Sharma rode away with the 12-14 category event from Jason Jordan and Christopher Griffith. Julio Melville finished ahead of Naomi Singh in the Boys and Girls 12-14 category, while Cleveland King won the BMX Open category over Adrian Sharma and Griffith.
Niles won the Veteran Under-50 five-lap event from Lovell and Shameer Baksh, Virgil Jones copped the Over-50 version ahead of Winston Thom and Courtney Hackett, and Maurice Fagundes the Over-60 race from Harry Lall and Krishna Singh.
De Nobrega stopped the clock at 24.29secs to take the Junior/Juvenile 10-lap race from Jeffrey and La Rose, while Ken Thomas was the victorious cyclist in the Upright category, winning same from Nial Kingston and Griffith.
The day’s programme was organised by national cycling coach Hassan Mohamed, while Managing Director of P&P Insurance Consultants, Bishwa Panday, and his daughter Jaya assisted with the distribution of prizes to the respective winners.
In his brief remarks, the elder Panday said he was happy to support cycling while highlighting to his audience that his Company is an ardent supporter of sports in Guyana, having sponsored horseracing, table tennis and even cricket tournaments, adding that he is happy to work with the youths.
The cyclists will turn their attention to the West Coast Demerara carriageway today, when they do battle in the Guyoil/Castrol Father’s Day road race from 09:00hrs in front of the Wales Police Station, proceeding to Bushy Park in Parika and back to the Demerara Harbour Bridge for the finish.