NATIONAL Road Race and Time Trial Champion Raynauth ‘Obeah Man’ Jeffrey, yesterday morning reminded his opponents in the local cycling fraternity of his ability, when he road away with the Banks DIH/PowerAde 50 miles cycle road race on the West Bank Demerara roadways in hazy conditions.

Fifty (50) cyclists including the lone female Toshawna Doris faced the starter at Wales, following which the junior and senior riders proceeded to Bushy Park, East Bank Essequibo and back to Schoonord for the finish, while Doris along with the Veterans, Uprights and Mountain Bike riders turned back at Uitvlugt and headed to Schoonord for the finish.
Jeffrey, who was amongst an eight man peloton that broke away just as they passed the finish line on the upward journey, stopped the clock at 1h. 51m: 02 secs, approximately 59 seconds faster than last year’s winner of the event Robin Persaud, who placed third overall behind Jeffrey and Alanzo Greaves.
Paul De Nobrega, Orville Hinds and Warren ‘40’ McKay completed the top six paying positions in the senior category of yesterday’s event, while Doris rode off with the top prize for the opposite sex; Jeffrey with four of the eight sprint prizes up for grabs, and Greaves, Robin Persaud, McKay and Godfrey Pollydore  sharing the other four equally.
Michael Anthony, Hamza Eastman and Kravitz Jeffrey were the top three finishers in the Junior category, even as Talim Shaw retained the Veteran’s category, taking the top podium spot from Everal Mundy and Kennard Lovell.
Ozia McAulay, Richard Charles and Julio Melville were the top three finishers in the Mountain Bike category, Montgomery Parris received a prize for being the oldest finisher, while special prizes were given to Alfie Sonaram and Nigel Duguid.
When the event got underway, the top six finishers in the senior category along with Pollydore and Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams made their move to the front of the peloton, which also included Anthony, Paul Choo-Wee-Nam, Albert Philander, Delroy Hinds, Christopher Persaud and Raymond Newton, just to name a few and held a lead of 150 metres.
As they made their way through the villages on the West Bank of Demerara, that lead was increased and at one time, was 3m: 05secs over the peloton which was led by Anthony, Choo-Wee-Nam and Rastaff O’Selmo.
Try as they may, the peloton could not connect with the front runners who worked assiduously hard to ensure they were not caught and the lone time they were seen, prior to the early stages of the race, was when they passed each other on the opposite side of the road, with the front runners making their way to the finish line while the peloton was going to the turn back point.
As they passed through Meten-Meer-Zorg, Jeffrey thought he had enough of the front runners and made a solo move to the front, while a cat and mouse game was the order of the day amongst the seven other cyclists who were with him.
He refused to reduce his pedal action, as he solely intended to dominate the field and at one time, whilst they were passing through Leonora, rode pass the police outrider, a strong testament of his will, power and determination to cross the finish line alone.
Greaves and Robin Persaud made a move to catch him at Cornelia Ida, but that was not to be, while at the back of them, Williams and DeNobrega were working to connect even as Mc Kay, Pollydore and Orville Hinds tried to keep up.
Eventually, Pollydore and Orville Hinds found it difficult to keep up, while McKay rode as a lone wolf, even as Greaves and Robin Persaud were waging a war to connect with an already out of sight Jeffrey, who took the event with ease.
Such was his dominance of the 50 miler despite the sweltering heat that he had stripped off his shoes and socks and had the opportunity of witnessing the sprint for second between Greaves, Robin Persaud, DeNobrega and Hinds, which Greaves won, while McKay rode in a comfortable sixth.
At the simple presentation ceremony which followed, Banks DIH’s Communications Officer  Troy Peters said his Company was pleased to be sponsoring the event under the PowerAde brand of products, adding that they were looking forward to working with Hassan Mohammed and the Guyana Cycling Federation in the future.