Greaves assumes leadership role after three stages
… Team Coco’s officially withdraws from event

INAUGURAL National Sports Commission/Ministry of Health/National AIDS Programme Secretariat ‘Ride for Life’ five-stage winner Alanzo Greaves of Roraima Bikers Club yesterday assumed the leadership position in this year’s event, at the completion of the third stage.Greaves’ ascendancy into the pole position, was facilitated by the withdrawal of the Miami-based Team Coco’s from this year’s event, following a discrepancy with one of the race officials, an act Ian ‘QB” Davis of Team Coco’s is deeming vindictive and personal.
Greaves will start this morning’s penultimate stage in the Cinderella County of Essequibo, with not only the race leader’s jersey on his back, but a slim six-second lead over national Road Race champion Geron Williams and one of his nemeses, Robin Persaud, after preserving his lead among the locals following yesterday’s third stage.
Greaves, who was trailing Team Coco’s Ruben Companioni and Carlos Ospina heading into the 35-mile stage (Wales to Parika) by more than two minutes, placed sixth in the event in 1h. 1m: 19secs, which was eventually won by Greaves former teammate at RBC, Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams, who took the top honours with a time of 59m:32secs.
Persaud, who placed fourth in yesterday’s stage, finishing one second faster than Greaves and Williams, is intent on ascending the ranks, as he is tied with Geron Williams for second place, six seconds behind Greaves.
Team Alanis’ Paul DeNobrega (1h:00:43s) and US-based Scott Savory (1h:01m:11s) finished second and third respectively to Marlon Williams in yesterday morning’s third stage, with all three riders being three minutes behind Greaves prior to the start of the stage.
However, ‘Fishy’ Williams, by virtue of his win, gained a lot of ground on the points leader and is now in fourth position, 1m: 32secs behind Greaves, with two stages to go including the fifth and final stage, that is known as ‘Fishy’ Williams’ hunting ground to cycling enthusiasts.
The top six, who will be facing the starter’s orders among other cyclists for this morning’s fourth stage, which pedals off from Supenaam, proceeds to Charity and back to Suddie for the finish – a distance of 62 miles – are as follows with timings in bracket:
Alanzo Greaves (5h:01m:13s), Geron Williams (+6s), Robin Persaud (+6), Marlon Williams (+1m:32s), Paul DeNobrega (+2m:46s) and Scott Savory (+3m:16s).
Meanwhile, the 12-strong Team Coco’s unit which had within its ranks the likes of Raynauth ‘Obeah Man’ Jeffrey and Junior Niles, the 2013 Open and Veterans champions, withdrew from the event in unity at the completion of the second stage.
This decision was arrived at, after they all disagreed with the 30-second penalty which was handed down to the team by race commissar, Malcolm Sonoram, who said Davis, the team’s founder and owner, had infringed one of the stipulations for the event during the second stage. Davis is strongly denying this.

(Calvin Roberts)