UNITED Bikers cyclist Orville Hinds registered an emphatic victory in yesterday’s feature 35-lap event of the Diamond Mineral Water 9th annual 11-race race cycle programme in the National Park.Racing in rainy conditions that were ideal for cyclists, Hinds set the tone for his victory from the 18th of the 35-lap race by advancing to the fore of the field from the 21st-lap and was never challenged thereafter.
As the laps progressed Hinds extended his lead to more than 800 metres ahead of his closest rivals which included Warren McKay, Godfrey Pollydore, Marlon `Fishy’ Williams, Raynauth Jeffrey and Stephen Fernandes.
But as the race progressed, Hinds, with Junior Niles on his back wheel changed into over-drive and extended the lead which was never reduced.
After breaking away, Hinds alternated the lead with a number of his rivals before breaking away and establishing a comfortable lead which he never relinquished.
Hinds kept turning up the gears from the 20-lap and almost lapped the entire field, thanks to assistance from veteran rider junior Niles who earlier in the day won the veterans under-50 five-lap race ahead of Berbician Wilbert Benjamin and Ralph Williams respectively.
With 10 laps remaining in the feature event, Jeffrey, the overall third place finisher jumped the chasing pack and was looking as though he would have caught up with Hinds, but this was not to be as the other riders in the pelethon sucked him back and kept him in their sights.
With seven laps remaining, Robin Persaud jumped the chasing pack but was subsequently sucked in and Hinds went on to win comfortably.
In the sprint for the minor positions, Warren McKay out-sprinted Jeffrey to take second, while Jeffrey placed third and Robin Persaud eased near the finish line to give Andre Abdool fourth position. Persaud settled for fifth and Stephen Fernandes sixth.
Hinds won six of the eight prime prizes that were up for grabs while Godfrey Pollydore and Jeffrey won one each.
In other results, Michael Anthony won the juveniles 10-lap race ahead of Andre Green and Alonzo respectively, while Ozia McAully won the five-lap mountain bike race from Clyde Jacobs and Wayne Nurse respectively.
Anthony Farriah, the only contestant in the veterans over-60 five-lap race completed the distance, while Linden Blackman won the veterans over-50 five-lap event ahead of Virgil Jones.
The BMX boys six to nine years old three-lap race was won by Sherwin Sampson ahead of T. Harrison. Third was Esau Jaisingh.
Sampson also won the BMX Boys nine to 12 years old three-lap race ahead of Taran Garbaran, while Adrian Sharma won the three-lap open race for BMX boy. Second was Taleel Jackson and third was Stephen Wilkinson.
In the BMX boys and girls three-lap event, Christopher Griffith was first, Avish Ramkhellwan second and Teshawanna Doris third.
Raxce organizer Hassan Mohamed showered praises on the sponsors for beingt on board for the past nine years and is hopeful that they will continue their sponsorship of the event for amny years to come.
The presentation of prizes to the respective winners was done by Demerara Distillers Limited’s Marketing Assistant Trish Doodnauth.