Persaud takes senior title
… Allen calls on GCF to stamp out insularity
AFTER being edged on the line by Continental Cycle Club’s (CCC) Geron Williams the previous day, Carlton Wheelers Cycle Club’s Robin Persaud yesterday outsprinted his club mate and junior national road race champion Raynauth Jeffrey, to take the senior title in the ninth edition of the Roraima Bikers Club (RBC)-organised ninth annual NAMILCO/CARICOM/Wheat-Up 65 miles road race. Persaud’s winning time was 2.43:17secs, with Warren ‘40’ McKay, Raul Leal, Paul De Nobrega and senior national road race champion Orville Hinds completing the top six positions of the event, which saw defending champion Alonso Greaves suffering the misfortune of having his chain cut, as they approached the finish line.
Sixty-nine cyclists, including three female riders faced the starter for the roll off in front of the Agricola-based National Milling Company (NAMILCO) bond, which saw the female, veteran and upright cyclists turning back at the Linden/Soesdyke Junction, while the juniors and seniors pedalled to Long Creek and back.
By virtue of placing second to Persaud, Jeffrey copped the top junior award ahead of Leal and De Nobrega, Linden’s Hazina Bharrat took the female category over Naoimi Singh and Marica Dick,
Talim Shaw reigned supreme in the Veterans category, winning same from Stephen Fernandes and Kennard Lovell, while Michael De Rouche was the first Upright cyclist to cross the line, with Keon Thomas and Hamza Eastman behind him.
There were 10 sprint prizes up for grabs and McKay, who was awarded a special prize for being the first senior cyclist from RBC to cross the line, took home three along with Hinds, while there was one each for Persaud, Jeffrey, Jude Bentley and Junior Niles.
Raymond ‘Steely’ Newton was also given a special prize for being the first veteran cyclist from RBC to cross the finish line, while all the various winners each received a trophy, cash prize and a championship jersey.
At the presentation ceremony, RBC president Brian Allen called on the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) whose president Cheryl Thompson was present, to stamp out insularity within the sport on the local scene.
“Cyclists need to be on their best behavior when they come to the line and during a race, as there have been lots of unsportsmanlike conduct coming from the cyclists, especially during a race and certainly, if the Federation allows this to continue, it can hamper sponsorship of the sport,” said Allen.
In his brief remarks, Director of Sport within the National Sports Commission (NSC) Neil Kumar was high in praise for NAMILCO – whose Managing Director and Assistant Managing Director Bert Sukhai and Autamaram Lakeram were present – for sponsoring the event which was accident-free, another year.
“The number of starters is very good. It shows that this event is indeed the largest single race in Guyana and while I laud the efforts of the three female cyclists, I would like to see moiré females competing not only in this race, but in other races as well.
“At the same time, it would be nice if we can have cyclists from other Caricom countries, Suriname and even Boa Vista – where NAMILCO’s products are a hit – competing like the three- and five-stage road races, while at the same time, making the event a signature one on the GCF calendar and at the same time making it a true Caricom event.”
Sukhai said he was happy to be a part of the event once again, adding how wonderful it would be to see the event grow, something that was said to the executives of RBC, including founder member of the club and the man who initiated the race in the first year, George Humphrey.
“We at NAMILCO will be working along with the club and the Director of Sport, to see what assistance we can get from the NSC for this event, as we would like to make it a bigger and better one in the future,” stated Sukhai.
Thompson also called on the organisers to make the event a true Caricom one, while she promised Allen to step up to the plate as head of the GCF to not only stamp out insularity, but also ensure discipline is paramount amongst the cyclists and officials.