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AFTER two gruelling stages in this year’s sixth annual Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport/Ministry of Health/Guyana Cycling Federation ‘Ride for Life’ five-stage cycle road race, the Miami-based Team Coco are well placed to take the top five positions.On the local side of things, top junior cyclists Raynauth Jeffrey, who narrowly missed out on taking that category in this year’s Independence three-stage cycle road race, is well placed to cart off that category for this year’s five-stage event. However, it was the Ian ‘QB’ Davis-managed and coached Team Coco cyclists, who continued to turn heads and set tongues wagging on the roads in Guyana, at the end of the two stages yesterday afternoon.
Firstly, Hamia Ramirez took the first stage from Corriverton to New Amsterdam, a distance of 46.6 miles (75km) in a time of 1h.39m:17secs with his team mates Darren Matthews, Antonio Alarton, Ivan Dominguez and Jeffrey taking the next four positions, while Guyana’s Rastaff O’Selmo was sixth.
Paul De Nobrega, Junior Niles, Raul Leal, Michael Anthony and Walter Grant-Stuart were all decked out in the Team Coco’s uniform and together with Robin Persaud, Orville Hinds, Enzo Matthews, Moses Ricketts from Suriname and Aruba’s Gino Hodge among other cyclists, completed the first stage in a time of 1h.41m:54 seconds.
The second stage, which covered a distance of 60.4 miles (96km) and saw the cyclists pedal off from Rosignol to Carifesta Avenue was won by Jeffrey in a time of 2h. 11m: 31secs over Matthews and Ramirez.
De Nobrega took fourth, finishing 58 seconds after the top trio with Ricketts three seconds behind De Nobrega and Hodge rounding off the top six, a further eight seconds behind Ricketts with O’Selmo who covered the distance in the same time as Hodge.
Dominguez, Alarton, Leal and Anthony crossed the line approximately five minutes after the first seven cyclists did so, while Jeffrey’s stage win propelled him into the third position behind Ramirez and Matthews, heading into this morning’s third stage.
After witnessing Ramirez receiving his stage winner’s jersey from race organiser Hassan Mohammed and National AIDS Programme Secretariat’s Nazim Hussain, the cyclists made their way to Carifesta Avenue together but Jeffrey, Ramirez, Matthews, De Nobrega, Ricketts, Hodge and O’Selmo broke away at Belladrum on the West Coast of Berbice.
They worked in tandem all the way to Strathspey on the East Coast of Demerara, before Jeffrey, Darren Matthews and Ramirez made their move to the front, one that was unanswered by the other four frontrunners, following which Jeffrey secured the stage victory by two bicycle lengths over Matthews and Ramirez.
As they head into this morning’s third stage which will see the riders traverse the West Coast Demerara carriageway as they proceed from the Wales Police Station to Bushy Park, East Bank Essequibo, a distance of 35 miles or 56km from 09:00hrs, Jeffrey will be looking to attain the top position.
Unofficially, the top six positions read with timings in bracket reads: Ramirez (3h.50m:33secs), Matthews (3h. 50m: 34secs), Jeffrey (3h.52m:54secs), O’Selmo (3h. 54m: 23secs), Alarton (3h. 57m: 53secs) and Dominguez (3h.57m:55secs).
Meanwhile, Persaud and Enzo Matthews failed to cross the finish line on their bikes for Team Guyana, who were competing the event without the services of Alonzo Greaves, leaving Hinds, O’Selmo and Geron Williams who suffered a puncture in the first stage, to battle with the opposition.
And while the Guyana junior team comprising Jeffrey, De Nobrega, Leal and Anthony did show up at the starting line yesterday morning in Corriverton, they were outfitted in Team Coco’s uniform and Davis told Chronicle Sport they are representing Team Coco Guyana.
Firstly, Hamia Ramirez took the first stage from Corriverton to New Amsterdam, a distance of 46.6 miles (75km) in a time of 1h.39m:17secs with his team mates Darren Matthews, Antonio Alarton, Ivan Dominguez and Jeffrey taking the next four positions, while Guyana’s Rastaff O’Selmo was sixth.
Paul De Nobrega, Junior Niles, Raul Leal, Michael Anthony and Walter Grant-Stuart were all decked out in the Team Coco’s uniform and together with Robin Persaud, Orville Hinds, Enzo Matthews, Moses Ricketts from Suriname and Aruba’s Gino Hodge among other cyclists, completed the first stage in a time of 1h.41m:54 seconds.
The second stage, which covered a distance of 60.4 miles (96km) and saw the cyclists pedal off from Rosignol to Carifesta Avenue was won by Jeffrey in a time of 2h. 11m: 31secs over Matthews and Ramirez.
De Nobrega took fourth, finishing 58 seconds after the top trio with Ricketts three seconds behind De Nobrega and Hodge rounding off the top six, a further eight seconds behind Ricketts with O’Selmo who covered the distance in the same time as Hodge.
Dominguez, Alarton, Leal and Anthony crossed the line approximately five minutes after the first seven cyclists did so, while Jeffrey’s stage win propelled him into the third position behind Ramirez and Matthews, heading into this morning’s third stage.
After witnessing Ramirez receiving his stage winner’s jersey from race organiser Hassan Mohammed and National AIDS Programme Secretariat’s Nazim Hussain, the cyclists made their way to Carifesta Avenue together but Jeffrey, Ramirez, Matthews, De Nobrega, Ricketts, Hodge and O’Selmo broke away at Belladrum on the West Coast of Berbice.
They worked in tandem all the way to Strathspey on the East Coast of Demerara, before Jeffrey, Darren Matthews and Ramirez made their move to the front, one that was unanswered by the other four frontrunners, following which Jeffrey secured the stage victory by two bicycle lengths over Matthews and Ramirez.
As they head into this morning’s third stage which will see the riders traverse the West Coast Demerara carriageway as they proceed from the Wales Police Station to Bushy Park, East Bank Essequibo, a distance of 35 miles or 56km from 09:00hrs, Jeffrey will be looking to attain the top position.
Unofficially, the top six positions read with timings in bracket reads: Ramirez (3h.50m:33secs), Matthews (3h. 50m: 34secs), Jeffrey (3h.52m:54secs), O’Selmo (3h. 54m: 23secs), Alarton (3h. 57m: 53secs) and Dominguez (3h.57m:55secs).
Meanwhile, Persaud and Enzo Matthews failed to cross the finish line on their bikes for Team Guyana, who were competing the event without the services of Alonzo Greaves, leaving Hinds, O’Selmo and Geron Williams who suffered a puncture in the first stage, to battle with the opposition.
And while the Guyana junior team comprising Jeffrey, De Nobrega, Leal and Anthony did show up at the starting line yesterday morning in Corriverton, they were outfitted in Team Coco’s uniform and Davis told Chronicle Sport they are representing Team Coco Guyana.
