LOCAL cyclists can gear themselves up for a busy weekend with the staging of two grand cycling meets in different parts of the country today and tomorrow.

Today, the action will pedal off in around the inner circuit of the National Park from 09:00hrs with the staging of the inaugural Assuria Insurance Company (AIC) 11-race programme, which also includes the much anticipated 35 laps Schoolboys and Invitational feature event.
This is the first time AIC will be joining forces with national cycling coach Hassan Mohamed in sponsoring a cycling programme and certainly with the staging of over 35 events for local cyclists last year and aiming to better that number this year, Mohamed can expect only the best from the cyclists who will be on show for today’s event.
Alonzo Greaves would be the man to beat in the feature event today, but with Raynauth ‘Obeah Man’ Jeffrey showing a return to form along with the consistency being displayed by Paul De Nobrega, Orville Hinds, Geron Williams and to an extent Enzo Matthews, calling the winner for this event would definitely be a hard task.
Other cyclists who will be on show in the feature event are: National time trial champion Jude Bentley, Junior Niles, Robin Persaud, Warren ‘40’ McKay, Naomi Singh, Stephen Fernandes, Ian ‘Dumb Boy’ Jackson, Raul Leal, Michael Anthony, Akeem Arthur and Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams.
Among the other races carded for the day are the BMX age group categories, veterans, uprights and mountain bikes. Representatives of AIC, including assistant general manager, Yogindra Arjune, will be on hand to assist in the presentation of prizes.
The action switches to the West Demerara roadway tomorrow morning, when the cyclists turn their attention to the fifth annual Cheddi Jagan Memorial 50-mile road race and the second of a trilogy for this year.
This event will pedal off from the Wales Police Station at 09:00hrs and proceed to Bushy Park, Parika, before returning to the Demerara Harbour Bridge for the finish, with the veterans, uprights and female riders turning back at Uitvlugt on the upward journey and finishing at the Harbour Bridge.
DeNobrega is the defending champion in both the senior and junior categories for this event, having won last year’s race in a time of 1h.59m:24 secs, but having moved up to the senior category this year, he will only be defending that crown making way for a new junior champion.
Talim Shaw (Veterans Open), Dexter Wilson (Upright), Naomi Singh (Female) and Walter Isaacs (Veterans Over-60) are the defending champions of the other categories for tomorrow’s event which is being sponsored by Krishna Samlall, a businessman of Parika.