THE INNER circuit of the National Park will be a hive of activity and excitement on Saturday when national cycle coach Hassan Mohamed runs off the third annual Star Party Rentals-sponsored 11-race cycle programme from 09:00hrs.In the feature event schoolboys, novices and invitational cyclists will battle for honours in a 35-lap race, which was won last year by Hamzah Eastman in a time of one hour 17 minutes 34.37 seconds.
This time around, however, Eastman will be hard-pressed to retain his title as Team Evolution’s members are firing on all cylinders at the moment, having chalked up victories in most of the National Park and road races staged since the Guyana Cycle Federation’s (GCF) 2016 season began in early January.
Team Evolution’s Orville Hinds totally dominated last week’s Diamond Mineral Water 35-lap race at the same venue with his team mate Raul Leal placing third, behind veteran rider Junior Niles. That day, the team was without the services of two key members, Marlon `Fishy’ Williams and Michael Anthony.
The 10-lap race for juveniles is also expected to be keenly contested as last year’s champion Andrew Hicks, who clocked 22 minutes 34.89 seconds in winning the 2015 edition, will be absent on Saturday as he is currently training and competing in Trinidad and Tobago. So this year a new champion will be crowned.
Jaikarran Sukhai is the defending champion of the veterans’ Under-50 years five-lap race, but he will be facing the formidable Niles along with Kennard Lovell and Warren McKay among others, come Saturday. Last year, Sukhai returned 11 minutes 33.41 seconds in winning the event.
The defending champion of the boys and girls 12-14 years of age three-lap race is Berbician Marica Dick, who clocked seven minutes 26 seconds for the race last year but with Adealie Hodge, Toran Garbarran and Tesemiha Harrison showing good form, Dick – if she faces the starter on Saturday – will have to be wary of her main rivals.
Keon Thomas won last year’s five-lap race for mountain bikers in a time of 25 minutes 14.87 seconds. He also won last Saturday’s Diamond Mineral Water five-lap race in 26 minutes 45.21 seconds and seems to be in good form to make a successful defence of his title.
Managing Director of Star Party Rentals and former national cricketer Lennox Cush is expected to witness the day’s proceedings as well as present prizes to the respective winners.