ONE of Guyana’s promising cyclists Geron Williams said his chances of winning this year’s 36th Annual  National Sports Commission Independence Three-Stage Cycle Race is as good as any of the other competitors.

According to Williams, the 36th edition of the event which wheels off today at 07.30hrs from outside the Corriverton Police Station and ends at Main and Alexander Streets, New Amsterdam, can be won by any of the top local cyclists or even a foreigner since no one knows if he might suffer a mishap.
But Williams quickly added that he thinks his chances of winning are great based on the fact that he has been in good nick over the past month while competing in the United States of America among some top professional cyclists from around the world.
Williams who suffered a broken collarbone while competing in the Ministry of Health’s ‘Ride for Life’ Five Stage Race in 2011 said he has fully recovered from that injury and is raring to show true potential this weekend.
He said he left Guyana in March of this year and it was difficult for him to adjust to the cold weather conditions that prevailed during the first month.
“It was a new experience for me, racing in that type of cold condition,” Williams said
“But over the past three or four weeks things have been better in terms of results.”
According to the 2008 Guyana representative at the Bejing Olympic Youth Camp, he placed second and third at two recent meets in Missouri while competing among amateurs and professionals “And those type of races show if you are a pro or an amateur.” Williams stated
Williams who will celebrate his 22nd birth anniversary on Thursday, May 22, said winning this year’s edition of the annual event will be a delight for him.
He said he is looking forward to the competition and hopes that other local-based riders live up to their true potential.
He expects the likes of Alonzo Greaves, Robin Persaud, Ray Nauth, Paul Nobrega and  Rawle Leal to show their true potential.
Williams who started his cycling career at the age of six years with national cycling coach Hassan Mohamed’s `Teach Them Young’ programme, got serious about the sport when he elevated himself to racing cycle at age 12.
At 13 years of age, Williams participated in his first three-stage race but only completed the first stage (Corriverton to New Amsterdam).
The following year he completed the first and second stages (Rosignol to Carifesta Avenue) and failed to face the starter for stage three (Kara Kara, Linden to Homestretch Avenue.
The following year at age 15, Williams said it was his best year of the annual three-stage event.
He placed third overall after finishing fifth in the first stage, third in the second stage and was among the leading bunch for the finish in the final stage.
His Continental club-mate Warren McKay won the overall race that year.
Williams said his supporters can expect a good showing from him this weekend, but expressed the hope that cycling enthusiasts will not be disappointed if stage records or the overall records for the three-stage event are not broken since they will have to take several factors into account including the weather and the wind conditions.
Williams will be returning to the USA next weekend to compete for his team CRCA Foundation which top former national cyclist Raymond Newton represented.