SPONSORSHIP for the seventh annual George Cumberbatch Memorial Cycling programme was yesterday handed over to president of Roraima Bikers Club (RBC) Brian Allen from Dennis Clifford ‘Toto’ Johnson and Managing Director of Humphrey’s Bakery and Farm Products George Humphrey

who is also the patron of RBC.
In this year’s event, which takes place around the Seawall Bandstand this Sunday, six races will be held, including the introduction of a new event called ‘Win and Out’ which is a reverse to the ‘Devil takes the Hindmost’ event, along with the 35-lap feature race of which Junior Niles is the defending champion.
According to Allen, the action will pedal off at 11:00hrs with the Junior/Juvenile Category 3 event which was won by Christopher Homchand last year and Category 1 to 4 for which Albert Philander is the defending champion.
Virgil Jones is the defending champion in the Veterans Over-50 event. Niles won last year’s Veterans Under-50 title to go along with his win in the feature event, which will see the top six finishers pocket prizes apart from the 10-sprint prizes up for grabs.  The top three in the other events will be rewarded.
The RBC president said the ‘Win and Out’ event will be contested over an undisclosed number of laps, during which the bell will ring for a prime prize, with the winner of that prize being asked to exit the race which will have two other winners.
In recounting his days as a cyclist, the 81-year-old Johnson who is currently residing in England, described the late Cumberbatch as a close and personal friend, with whom he had several exciting duels in the local cycling arena.
The former RBC vice-president and president and Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) vice-president, who was born in Fyrish, Corentyne, Berbice, said he was pleased to be back in Guyana and associated with this event, describing Cumberbatch as an outstanding long distance cyclist in the sport during his heyday.
“The last race I rode together with George ‘Boy Blue’ Cumberbatch, was in Trinidad where I was beaten by Compton Gonsalves, who was at the time the champion West Indian cyclist, while Cumberbatch won the 5 000 metres event,” said Johnson, who also lectured Mechanical Engineering at the University of Guyana from 1972 to 1996.
Apart from Niles and Jeffrey, other cyclists such as Alanzo Greaves, Robin Persaud, Warren McKay, Marlon Williams, Raymond Newton, Dwayne Gibbs, Walter Grant-Stuart, Paul De Nobrega, Geron Williams, Jude Bentley, Orville Hinds and Raul Leal, are expected to do battle on Sunday’s programme which is listed below: