DEFENDING champion for the Ministry of Sports/ Ministry of Health/Guyana Cycling Federation seventh annual ‘Ride for Life’ five-stage cycle road race, Jaime Ramirez, will be amongst the record 72 starters doing battle for supremacy in this year’s event which pedals off tomorrow morning.This was disclosed to this publication by National Cycling Coach, Hassan Mohammed, yesterday morning, who also said all systems are in place for a successful event with several overseas riders coming to do battle in the 266 miles (430km) event.
According to Mohammed, Ramirez, who holds the record for the event having completed and won last year’s event in a time of 9h: 46mins: 51secs to eclipse Antonio Quintero, his Team Coco’s teammate, 2010 record time of 10h: 18mins: 26secs will join the local Team Coco contingent for the event.
“Ramirez will be coming to defend his title and this is the first time we will have a non-national champion returning to defend his title in this race, and he will be joining the local Team Coco, along with Colombia’ Antonio Jose Alcon Gonzalez and Barbados’ Darren Matthews.
However, while Ramirez will be here, local cyclists will not get to see Barbados’ Jamal Eastman, the present Independence three- stage champion in action, since Team Heatwave will not be competing, but we have other overseas riders who will be.”
Ramirez, Matthews, and Alcon Gonzalez, will join forces with National Road Race and Time Trial champion, Raynauth ‘Obeah Man’ Jeffrey, Michael Anthony, Christopher Persaud, and top veteran cyclists, Junior Niles.
Mohammed singled out Scott Savory, Andy Newsum and Gerald Yates as some of the cyclists who will be coming from overseas to do battle with the local competitors, while he could not shed any light on whether the Surinamese will be at the starting line, until tomorrow morning.
“They never indicate to us in advance, if they are competing or not whether it is this race of the three stage event, until the morning of the first stage, when they complete their registration. So as of now, I am unable to say whether they will be competing or not, until Thursday morning,” said Mohammed.
He believes that with the recent works being done on the roadways, especially in the Ancient County, coupled with the present form of the cyclists, a faster timings cane be recorded especially amongst the individual stages for this year’s event.
“To date, Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams holds the record for the fastest times done in the first and fifth stage, while Jonathan Teeter, Junior Niles and Colin Wilson are the respective record holders for the second, third and fourth stages, over the six years of this event” related Mohammed.
In 2011, Williams completed the first stage in a time of 1h. 36mins: 05secs, while he completed the fifth stage in a time of 2h: 38mins: 11secs in 2008, the same year Wilson completed the fourth stage in a time of 2h. 30mins: 54secs.
Teeter’s second stage record ride was done in 2011, when he stopped the clock at 2h. 18mins: 45secs, with Niles stopping the clock for the 2009 event third stage at 57m:17secs, times that are likely to be broken this time around.
Tomorrow’s first stage, will pedal off from the Corriverton Police Station at 0730hrs and proceed to Alexander Street in New Amsterdam, covering a distance of 46.6 miles or 75km, with the second stage taking place tomorrow afternoon from 1400 hrs, with the remaining riders who finish the first stage, riding from the Rosignol Stelling to Carifesta Avenue, a distance of 60.4 miles or 96 km.
Friday morning’s third stage will see the cyclists going from Wales to Bushy Park, Parika, which is a 35 miles or 56 km journey that commences at 08:00hrs, before they head to the Cinderella County of Essequibo to do battle in the fourth or penultimate stage.
This event takes place Saturday morning and is the longest stage of the race, with the cyclists competing for supremacy over a distance of 67miles (107.5km), journeying from Supenaam to Charity and back to Suddie for the finish.
The fifth and final leg takes place on Sunday morning and it is one that will cover a distance of 64.6 miles (103.3 km), starting at Kara Kara in Linden and proceeding to Homestretch Avenue for the finish, following which the presentation of prizes will be done at either the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall or the National Cultural Centre.
Cyclists and officials are asked to note that transportation will leave the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Main Street, at 12:30h today for Corriverton, after the usual pep talk from Minister of Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony.

(By Calvin Roberts)