Sport Minister optimistic this year’s event will be a ‘ground-breaking’ one

MINISTER of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony is optimistic that this year’s Annual Three-Stage Cycle Race which commences today at 07:30hrs from Corriverton, Berbice, will be a “ground-breaking” event.

Addressing cyclists, parents and members of the media yesterday shortly before the cyclists departed his ministry’s compound for Berbice, Minister Anthony opined that this year’s event, sponsored by the National Sports Commission in collaboration with his ministry, will be a “ground-breaking” one since it has attracted a record number of participants including foreign riders.
Dr Anthony said he is pleased that the NSC and his ministry are able to stage the event which has become a part of the NSC’s sports calendar.
“When you race, we see we’re not afraid of competition. When we ride among ourselves we tend to get complacent, so we need international competition,” Dr Anthony noted, adding “this year marks our 48th Independence Anniversary and we want people to understand what we fought for over 48 years ago.”
The minister extended an invitation to the cyclists to attend the Independence exhibition which will be held next week so that they can be among the VIPs in attendance and be honoured for their contribution to cycling.
“While you are riding the three stages, I want you to remember we are celebrating our 48 years of Independence.” Dr Anthony declared.
According to the minister, seminars and discussions will be held later in the year to discuss how Guyana can move the sport to the next level.
“Keep it safe, keep it fair and may the best come out on top,” Minister Anthony said in closing.
Earlier, Director of Sport Neil Kumar congratulated the cyclists who registered and called on the cyclists to break the record time for the 175.5-mile event which concludes on Sunday.
Race organiser Hassan Mohamed, in brief remarks, noted that last year there were 76 starters but only 46 started the final stage (Kara Kara Linden Highway to Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown). So this year is a record-breaking one in terms of entries.
Mohamed called on the cyclists to adhere to the rules and cautioned that cyclists not adhering to the rules can be penalised – something he does not want to do.
Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) president Cheryl Thompson, in her brief remarks, like Mohamed, implored the cyclists to adhere to the rules and called on them to work as a team so as to win the event and not allow the 12 foreigners who will be participating to take the top honours.
“Let them know that the Guyanese are a force to be reckoned with,” Thompson declared.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Alfred King, also remarked that cycling in Guyana has come a long way and his ministry wants to see the sport move beyond the shores of Guyana whereby locals can dominate at the Regional and International levels.
Barbadian Jomal Eastman is the defending champion, winning last year’s event in six hours 58 minutes 13 seconds.
Eastman had won the first and second stages last year with Alanzo Greaves and Hinds finishing second and third.
Williams and Robin Persaud were second and third respectively in stage two.
The event will wheel off outside the Corriverton Police Station at 07:00hrs for the downward journey to New Amsterdam, a distance of 46.6 miles.
The second stage begins at 14:00hrs today also and will wheel off from the Rosignol stelling and proceed to Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown, for the finish, a distance of 60.4 miles.
Stage three will commence 08:00hrs tomorrow morning from Kara Kara, Linden Highway, and conclude on Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown, a distance of 75.5 miles.
The overall record holder for the event is Ivan Dominiquez of Team Coco that is based in Miami, USA. Dominiquez’ time for the event is six hours 44 minutes 55 seconds which he registered in 2012. This eclipsed the six hours 45 minutes 54 seconds that was recorded by Godfrey Pollydore in 1998.
Dominiquez’ team mate Yasmani Pol holds the record (one hour 38 minutes 31 seconds) for the first stage, which was registered in 2011, the very year he registered a new record (two hours 15 minutes 31 seconds) for the second stage.
Dominiquez holds the record (two hours 42 minutes 39 seconds) for stage three. This was done in 2012).