– De Nobrega retains junior crown
CONTINENTAL Cycle Club’s Geron Williams edge Carlton Wheelers Cycle Club’s (CWCC) ands defending champion Robin Persaud on the line, to take the senior category of this year’s Seven Seas/Dr Chase’s 50 mile cycle road race yesterday morning, doing so in a time of 1.53:16secs, 1.27secs faster than Persaud’s timing for last year’s event. Former junior national road race champion Paul De Nobrega finished third, with Raul Leal, Michael Anthony and recently crowned senior road race champion Orville Hinds, completing the top six finishers in the senior category.
With his overall third place finish, De Nobrega successfully retained the junior category title for the event, as he finished ahead of Leal and Michael Anthony, with Marica Dick taking the female title from Naomi Singh and Hazina Bharrat.
The Veteran category was won by Talim Shaw over Kennard Lovell and Keith Fernandes, while the Upright category was taken by Walter De Rouche from Hamza Eastman and Keon Thomas and of the eight prime prizes that was up for grabs amongst the seniors, De Nobrega took two, while there was one each for Hinds, Sean Alves, Albert Philander, Alonso Greaves, Mark Lewis and Rastaff O’Selmo.
Over 60 cyclists inclusive of the three females faced national cycling coach Hassan Mohammed, who also organized the event, for the start of the 50 miles event in front of the Wales Police Station and there was not much to talk about on the upward journey which saw national time trial champion Jude Bentley suffering a flat back wheel at Ruimzeigt.
Junior Niles and Hector Edwards Jnr. led the cyclist to the turn back point at Bushy Park, East Bank Essequibo, but were caught by the peloton which included the top six cyclists, Greaves and national junior road race champion Raynauth Jeffrey.
As they approached Windsor Forest, Jeffrey, Greaves, Persaud, Williams, Hinds, O’Selmo, Lewis, De Nobrega, Leal and Michael Anthony, broke away and held a 200 metres lead from the peloton which included Philander, Enzo Matthews, Christopher Holder and Walter Grant-Stuart and stayed that way until the end of the event.
Product Specialist and Brand Representative for Seven Seas Karen Connell was on hand to assist with the distribution of prizes at the conclusion of the event, which was an accident free one and deemed a success by Mohammed, who thanked the cyclists and police for their cooperation.