FOR the second successive year, Raynauth ‘Obeah Man’ Jeffrey stunned a star studded field to take the BK International sponsored 16th Annual Cheddi Jagan Memorial cycle road race, which pedaled off from the People’s Progressive Party/Civic New Amsterdam branch office, proceeded to Number 55 Village and back to Port Mourant for the finish, a distance of 55 miles.

Jeffrey’s winning time of 2h. 13m: 26 seconds for yesterday’s win, was 10m: 03 secs faster than the time he posted last year for the same event, this time defeating Enzo Matthews, Alanzo Greaves, Robin Persaud, Geron Williams and Paul De Nobrega in that order.
Lovell showed some semblance of his old self, when he handsomely took the Veteran’s category from Wilbert Benjamin and Ralph Williams in that order, while the female category was won by Hazina Bharrath over Naomi Singh.
Jeffrey’s Team Coco’s Guyana teammate Raul Leal carted off the Junior category from Montel Anthony and Andre Abdool and Ozia Mc Aulay the Upright category from Julio Melville and Stephanoo Husbands respectively.
A field of 62 cyclists including four females, were sent on their way by Minister of Home Affairs Clement Rohee, in the presence of Minister of Sports Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsarran, Director of Sport Neil Kumar, Regional Chairman of Region 6 David Armogan and Managing Director of BK International, Brian Tiwari along with other cycling enthusiasts.
However, Jeffrey signaled his intentions to put up a fight in the defence of the event he won last year, by joining Matthews, Geron Williams, John Charles and Wasim Gafoor at the front of the peloton as they approached Palmyra Village.
The quintet worked in tandem to establish a lead of approximately 1500 metres over the peloton which included Greaves, Persaud, De Nobrega, Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams, Warren ‘40’ Mc Kay, Junior Niles, Paul Choo Wee Nam, Walter Grant-Stuart and Kurt La Rose amongst others.
As they passed Port Mourant for the first time, Gafoor lost his place at the front and was caught by Leal, De Nobrega, Greaves, Persaud, Choo Wee Nam and Orville Hinds, who later connected with Jeffrey, Matthews, Geron Williams and Charles at Auchlyne.
Together they sated at the front of the event, holding a lead of close to three minutes on the peloton, before they lost the services of Charles, who found the pace too hot to handle at the front and made his exit as they passed through Number 36 Village.
Shortly after losing Charles, Jeffrey, Hinds and De Nobrega surprised their opponents at the front by making their move further afield; opening a lead of 50 metres that stretched as the race progressed, making them the first to receive turn back orders from Wayne De Abreu.
The trio stayed together for the most part of the downward journey, before they were caught by the chasing peloton as they approached Whim, at which point Jeffrey repeated his act from last year and made a solo move to the front where he never looked back to cross the line on his own.
Matthews also jumped the pack to take the second place, while Greaves displayed why he is the best sprinter on the local scene, outsprinting Persaud, Geron Williams and De Nobrega, taking the other podium spot in the process.
There were eight sprint prizes up for grabs, with De Nobrega and Jeffrey taking two each, leaving Leal, Hinds, Charles and Matthews to share the other four equally.
Prior to the presentation of prizes, both Minister Rohee and Dr. Anthony lauded the cyclists for making the event a successful one.
And immediately following the distribution of prizes won during this year’s event, the first of three that is being held to commemorate the life  and work of the late President Dr. Jagan, Jeffrey was presented with a special trophy after he accumulated 22 points for last year’s events, which saw him winning the first leg, placing second in the second and finishing in the top six in the third.