THE 16th Annual Diamond Mineral water Cycle Road Race will pedal off at 08:00hrs this morning from outside the Wales Police Station.After moving off from Wales, West bank Demerara, the veterans, mountain bikers and ladies will travel to Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara before turning back to finish at the Demerara Harbor Bridge.
The open and junior riders will do battle to Bushy Park, East Bank Essequibo and turn back to complete the 50-mile distance at the Harbour Bridge also.
Hamzah Eastman won the event last year with a time of one hour 59 minutes 42 seconds.
The junior category was won by Romello Crawford, while Talim Shaw was the first veteran to cross the finish line.
Oziah McAully won the mountain bike category and Walter `Buck Man’ Issacs was the oldest rider to finish the race.
This year however, a number of top cyclists are showing very good form and it will be interesting to see if Eastman can stave off their challenge.
He would definitely have to be wary of Marlon `Fishy’ Williams, Andrew Hicks who won the feature 35-lap event in the National Park yesterday, Alonzo Greaves, Orville Hinds, Akeem Wilkinson and a host of other riders if he is to make it back to back victories.
The event is being coordinated by Hassan Mohamed.