TEAM Coco’s Jamaul John narrowly edged his team mate Raphael Leung to win the 13th edition of the Victor Macedo Memorial Cycle Road Race yesterday.John in company with Leung, veteran Paul DeNobrega, Warren McKay, Akeem Wilkinson and Andrew Hicks broke from the main bunch shortly after the start and opened a sizeable lead over the others who were all eyeing each other.
McKay, competing in the veteran category stayed with the leading group until he reached Dora on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway to turn back for the finish on Homestretch Avenue.
Meanwhile, the leaders rode in tandem and exchanged positions, sharing the prime prizes that were up for grabs.
They maintained the lead and opened an approximate one-minute lead over the chasing pack.
As the leaders turned into Mandela Avenue the pace of the race increased and Leung held a slight advantage over John.
The duo then broke from the others and turned unto Homestretch Avenue and with approximately 200 metres to go Leung upped the ante but John responded immediately and they were together with 25 metres remaining. Then John surged ahead to win by a wheel.
In winning the overall event in three hours nine minutes 51.50 seconds, John also cashed in on the first junior award. Leung was second in this category.
DeNobrega finished a distant third in the open category, while Orville Hinds placed fourth, Andrew Hicks finished fifth and Wlkinson was sixth.
The other top three positions in the open category were occupied by Shaquille Agard, Christopher Griffith and Silvio Innis respectively.
The third- and fourth-place finishers in the junior category were Hicks and Griffith.
John won three of the 12 prime prizes that were on offer, while Leung won four. McKay won two, while Wilkinson, Hicks and Hinds each won one.
McKay was the first veteran to cross the finish line. Second was Ian `Dumb Boy’ Jackson and Jaikaran Sukhai finished third.
Jackson’s son, Jaleel Jackson won the juvenile category, while Deoraj Gharbaran and Nigel Duguid placed second and third respectively.
Keon Thomas won the mountain bikers’ category ahead of Ozia McAully and Seon Budhan respectively.