THE `Clash of the Titans’is set for today as the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) stages its National Road Race championships beginning at 07:30hrs from outside the Ocean View International Hotel.While there are five categories to be contested, the main attraction will be the senior men’s championship where four United States based Guyanese will be coming up against a strong field of locally based riders.
Geron Williams, Scott Savory, Alonzo Greaves and Hamza Eastman returned to Guyana from their US based clubs to be a part of the action and will be out to showcase what they have learnt while in the US competing weekly in different races (criterium), however, they will have to be especially of Team Evolution’s Orville Hinds and Marlon `Fishy’ Williams who have both been enjoying a favourable local season.
Geron is the defending champion of the men’s road race title and he returned home just over a week ago so he should by now be acclimatised and ready to make a successful title defence.
Last year, Geron Williams won the 100-mile event that was staged from Georgetown to the Linden Highway and Back in a time of four hours25 minutes .02 seconds.
Stephano Husbands won the junior category, while Andrew Hicks won the juveniles’ category, Raymond Newton the veterans’ category and Clair Fraser-Green the ladies’ category.
This year, the seniors will battle over 92.86 miles, the juniors and veterans over 42 and 50 miles respectively and the ladies and juveniles 21.7 miles.
The ladies and juveniles will start battling from 07:30 hrs and after they move off they will proceed west along the East Coast carriageway turn by the Russian Embassy, turn south on Vlissengen Road and west by the Celina Resort and keep travelling East to Sparandaam and turn back West on the East Coast road and continue the trend until they would have completed 21.7 miles.
The veterans and juveniles will follow the same route seven and six times respectively beginning at approximately 08:45hrs and the seniors do the same 13 times from about 11:30hrs.