Pollydore wins third leg but
Greaves takes overall title

VETERAN cyclist Godfrey Pollydore won the third leg of the Dr. Cheddie Jagan Memorial Cycle Road Race which was staged on the Essequibo Coast yesterday, but 2013 top rider Alonzo Greaves won the overall title.
The 50-mile stage which started at Supenaam in Essequibo attracted 50 starters that were sent on their way by Regional Chairman Region 2 Parmanand Persaud.From Supenaam, the cyclists journeyed to Charity before returning to the finish line at Anna Regina.
From the start, team United Bikers led by Albert Philander and supported by Orville Hinds established a small lead over the others but Team Coco led by Marlon `Fishy’ Williams along with Robin Persaud went in pursuit and connected.
As they rode through Reliance, Persaud led the field with Philander close behind, followed by Williams and Hinds.
The leaders at the time were approximately 30 seconds ahead of the chasing pack which included Pollydore and Greaves who went into the third leg with 18 points from winning the second leg in Berbice and placing second in the second leg that was staged in West Demerara. Yesterday, he earned a further eight points.
The leaders were subsequently wheeled in before reaching Charity and from there the lead kept changing guard until about one mile from the finish, but in the end it was Pollydore who breezed away from Greaves to win in two hours 10 minutes 24 seconds, seven minutes faster than last year’s winner Paul DeNobrega.
Raynauth Jeffrey placed third, while Hinds, Hamza Eastman and Persaud finished fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.
Pollydore won one prime prize, while Williams took three; Jefrey, DeNobrega, Junior Niles and Eastman won one each.
The junior category which was also contested over 50 miles was won by the in form Michael Anthony. Second was Akeem Arthur and third was Shaquile Agard.
The veterans, mountain Bikers and females’ categories started at Anna Regina after the juniors and open categories’ cyclists passed there, and Eon ‘Dumb Boy’ Jackson prevailed in the veterans’ category ahead of Wazim Hasnoo and Vibert Benjamin, respectively.
In the mountain bike category, Clive Jacobs won from Lemmon Dick and Ozia McAully, respectively.
Naiomi Singh was the lone female rider to contest that category and she completed the distance, while the oldest cyclist to complete the course from Anna Regina return was 72-year old Anthony Farriah.
This is the seventh year that the race has been staged on the Essequibo Coast and it was the biggest turn out of cyclists to date.
Director of Sports Neil Kumar, race organiser Hassan Mohamed and chairman of the Dr. Cheddie Jagan’s memorial committee, Navin Chanderpal, all congratulated the participants saying that they were all winners.
Chanderpal reminded that Dr. Jagan had a love for sports, especially cycling, and was upbeat of making Guyanese health and fitness conscious..
Regional Chairman Persaud welcomed the cyclists to the Region stating that the race was part of a one month celebration in honour of the late President.
He said the leg was a success and noted that cycling in the Region is growing faster since the first race was held on the coast.
Persaud said he will be having discussions with Kumar and Mohamed to move the sport further in the Region.