IMPRESSIVE riding from Carlton Wheelers Cycle Club’s and defending champion of the Regan Rodrigues Memorial 50 miles cycle road race Robin Persaud, yesterday, retained such honours with a half of a wheel victory over Roraima Bikers Club’s Warren McKay in a time of 1h. 57: 27secs.

Paul DeNobrega, Orville Hinds, John Charles and Godfrey Pollydore completed the top six paying positions in the senior category of the event which saw the senior and junior riders pedalling from Wales Police Station and heading to Bushy Park before returning to the Demerara Harbour Bridge for the finish.
Talim Shaw easily retained the Veteran’s title, doing so from Ian ‘Dumb Boy’ Jackson and Shameer Baksh respectively, while Hazina Bharrat claimed the Female title from the defending champion Naomi Singh and Toshawna Doris.
With the absence of last year’s junior category winner Raynauth Jeffrey, who now competes as a senior, Hamza Eastman did enough to take that category from his 2013 Caribbean Junior Championships teammates Michael Anthony and Shaquille Agard, while Montgomery Parris rode off with the Veteran’s Over-60 title from Walter Isaacs.
The event which was held for the ninth successive year, got off to a fast start, with McKay making his move to the front of the peloton to take the first sprint prize, before he was caught, following which several mini breaks were made during the upward journey.
However, as they approached Ruby on the East Bank of Essequibo, Persaud, DeNobrega, brothers Orville and Delroy Hinds, Alanzo Greaves and Junior Niles, made their move to the front of the peloton and enjoyed a lead of 400 metres over the peloton that included Eastman, Anthony, Agard, McKay, Godfrey Pollydore, Christopher Holder.
Delroy Hinds suffered a flat front wheel as they approached the Leonora Primary School turn on the return journey, while McKay led the chasing peloton who connected with the front runners as they approached Ruimzeight.
At this point, a cat and mouse game ensued between the riders in the peloton, of which Persaud refused to be a part of and made his move to the front where he was joined by McKay, Orville Hinds and DeNobrega.
In the sprint for home, the defending champion took home championship accolades for another year, with a half of a wheel victory with DeNobrega and Orville Hinds following behind, while Charles sprinted from the pack to take fifth place ahead of Pollydore.
Of the remaining seven sprint prizes that were up for grabs, after McKay calmly took the first, Orville Hinds rode off with three while DeNobrega and Pollydore shared the other four equally, even as Mrs. Dianne Rodrigues, the widow of the late Regan Rodrigues and other family members assisted with the presentation of prizes won at the end of the event.