AT A SIMPLE presentation ceremony held in their Eccles boardroom yesterday, the National Milling Company (NAMILCO), through its Wheat Up brand, has again joined forces with the Roraima Bikers Club (RBC) to execute their CARICOM Day cycling programme for the 11th successive year 

Present at the launching were NAMILCO’s Finance Controller, Fitzroy McLeod, Assistant to the Managing Director Autamaram Lakeram, Marketing Consultant
Hafeez Khan and RBC president Brian Allen and voce-president Royston Wright.
In his brief remarks before making the presentation to Wright, McLeod said his company was pleased to be associated with RBC for another year, even as they strive to make the event more interactive as the years go by.
“Indeed, it is a pleasure to announce the upcoming event that NAMILCO certainly takes pleasure in partnering with RBC for this event. We are looking to make the event more interactive and appealing across all categories, with both the spectators and families being involved,” said McLeod.
McLeod informed the gathering that this year’s programme which will be held around the Seawall Bandstand on Monday is being sponsored to the tune of $500 000, an increase of $100 000 from last year’s programme, with the top riders carting off one year’s supply of Wheat Up.
He said NAMILCO will do its part to make the event a memorable one, not only for the cyclists, but also for their families and spectators.
Lakeram said NAMILCO was approached 11 years ago to sponsor the programme by then president George Humphrey, who now serves as Patron of RBC. They readily said yes.
He pointed out that over the years, the event has grown and hence it has seen an increase in its prize structure, while echoing the sentiments of McLeod when he said NAMILCO is pleased to be associated with the event once again.
On behalf of RBC, Allen thanked NAMILCO for its support, while he added that both parties are looking to make the event bigger and better every year, while he added that several of the country’s top riders in their various categories will be on show for Monday’s 12-race programme which pedals off at 09:00hrs.
However, last year’s winner of the feature event, Alanzo Greaves, will not be participating, as he is currently in the United States of America fine-tuning his preparations for this month’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Allen also said there are doubts surrounding the participation of newly crowned national road race champion Geron Williams, but knows for sure that Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams who placed second to Geron in the road race championships, will be competing.
Cyclists Shaquille Agard, Hamza Eastman, Robin Persaud, Christopher Holder, Michael Anthony, Naomi Singh, Teshawna Doris and Godfrey Pollydore, just to name a few, are expected to be on show, while Allen hopes the likes of United Kingdom-based female national time trial and road race queen Claire Fraser-Green, would participate in the event, if she is still here.
All of the events will carry trophies and cash prizes to the top three finishers, including the BMX 6 to 9 years two laps race, which for the first time in Guyana would see the top three finishers pedal off with $5 000, $4 000 and $3 000 respectively.
The Wheat Up Classic, which will see the riders compete for 30 laps, has a first place prize of $30 000 and a trophy, with the second- to sixth-place finishers taking home $25 000, $15 000, $10 000, $8 000 and $5 000 respectively along with trophies.
And while there was a Team Time Trial being held at last year’s programme, it is being replaced this year with a Points Race that will go for 12 laps, with points being awarded at specific laps throughout the race, while points will be doubled for the final lap.
Written By Calvin Roberts