THE 9th Annual Laparkan Holdings Limited-sponsored 11-race cycle programme is set for this Saturday beginning at 09:00hrs, around the inner circuit of the National Park.

The activity which will be coordinated by National cycle coach Hassan Mohamed will be, Mohamed’s 38th 11-race programme for the 2013 cycling season, with the feature event being a 35-lap race for schoolboys and novices and is expected to be a thriller with the in-form Michael Anthony out to prove that his win last Saturday over the same course and distance was no fluke.
He would, however, have to be wary of Alanzo Greaves, who to date has registered 13 victories for the season with seven of them being over the same course and distance while the others were road races.
Also expected to be in contention for the top six places in the event are defending champion Robin Persaud, the current national road race champion Raynauth Jeffrey, Paul DeNobrega who placed second to Anthony last Saturday, Rastaff O’Selmo, Enzo Matthews, Raymond Newton and Stephen Fernandes.
Persaud returned a time of one hour 20 minutes 55 seconds in winning the event last year and has been showing signs recently that he is coming into form, but whether he can make a successful defence come Saturday will be seen.
Jeffrey, who recently returned to Guyana from Suriname where he wore national colours in that country’s Bigi Bergi four-stage race, has been among the top six finishers on a number of occasions in this type of event and there is no reason why he cannot repeat that feat on Saturday.
Another race that should be exciting is the 10-lap race for juveniles.
The defending champion is Rawle Leal who clocked 26 minutes 02.51 seconds last year but will be unable to defend, needless to say retain that title, since he is out on the injured list, recuperating from injuries sustained in a vehicular accident earlier this year.
However, Anthony, who won over the same course and distance last Saturday with a time of 22 minutes 54 seconds, is expected to cart off this event, once he can stave off strong challenges from Hamza Eastman and Silvo Lewis who placed second and third respectively to Anthony last Saturday.
There will also be five-lap races for veterans’ Under-50, Over-50 and Over-60, with Junior Niles being the defending champion in the Under-50 category and he can expect strong competition from Raymond Newton, Stephen Fernandes, Kennard Lovell and Shurland Sue-Hang among others.
Linden Blackman who won last week’s five-lap race for the Over-50 veterans is expected to top the field once again this week, while Monty Parris can once again defeat Maurice Fagundes and Neville Atwell in the Over-60 category.
Jude Bentley who ruled the roost in the five-lap event for mountain bikers last year with a time of 30 minutes 20 seconds should be able to repeat that performance once he enters the race, but can expect a strong challenge from Richard Charles, Ozia McAulay and Clyde Jacobs.
Last year, Alfie Sonaram won the three-lap BMX race for boys and girls 12-14 years of age. He had returned a time of seven minutes 7 seconds and with Rawle Small, Deeraj Gorbarran and Seion Thegg showing form, Sonaram will be hard-pressed to defend his title.
Other races on the day’s card include one-lap races for BMX boys and girls 6-9 years old, three-lap races for BMX boys 9-12 years old and an open three-lap race for BMX boys.
Representatives from Laparkan Holdings Limited are expected to present the respective winners with their prizes.