TEAM Evolution’s Orville Hinds is poised to make a successful defence of his Independence Three-Stage cycle road race title when the event climaxes today on Homestretch Avenue.After completing the first two stages, Hinds will go into today’s final stage (Kara Kara, Linden Highway to Homestretch Avenue) with a healthy lead.
Hinds won stage one (Corriverton to New Amsterdam, Berbice) in one hour 41 minutes 14 seconds and placed second in the second stage (Rosignol to Carifesta Avenue) with a bunch time of two hours 42 minutes .05 seconds.
Going into today’s third and final stage, Hinds will benefit from a bonus time of 17 seconds overall, having won the first stage for a 10-second bonus time and placing second in stage two for seven seconds bonus time.
After being sent on their way from outside the Corriverton Police Station, Berbice, by Director of Sport Christopher Jones, Junior Niles and Andrew Hicks broke away from the other 55 starters, but Hinds in company with team-mate Michael Anthony and Trojan Cycle Club’s Jebon Crawford gave chase and connected to the duo and instead of staying with them, the trio continued pedalling hard but it was too much for the young Crawford, who eventually dropped out and Hinds went on to outsprint Anthony for the stage victory. Niles finished third.
Some one minute later, Hinds’s Team Evolution’s team-mate Marlon `Fishy’ Williams outsprinted Linden’s Shaquiel Agard to finish fourth and earn three bonus points. Crawford ended the stage in the sixth position.
Stage two started at 14:00hrs from the Rosignol Ferry Stelling and concluded on Carifesta Avenue.
Of the 57 starters, only 53 started the second stage and when they were given the green flag by race coordinator and national cycle coach Hassan Mohamed, the 53 cyclists went off at a very fast pace which saw the more inexperienced riders being dropped very early in the stage.
They stayed together and were travelling in Indian file passing through Cotton Tree Village, but as they approached Waterloo Village, West Coast Berbice, Hinds suffered a puncture to his back wheel. He however,quickly got a change of wheel and powered his way back to the leading bunch with assistance from his team-mate Williams.
At Belle Vue, the top riders were all bunched together and were eying each other and approximately five miles after leaving Abary, Mario King decided to jump the pack and opened a three-minute lead on the others who were led by Hinds. The pack connected at Buxton, East Coast Demerara, after which there were several mini attacks mostly by Williams; and as the pack reached Plaisance, Hinds and Anguillan Joseph Hercules distanced themselves from the others and Hercules went on to outsprint Hinds to the finish line.
Despite placing second though, Hinds starts today’s final stage a comfortable leader and will have to only hang in to make a successful defence of his title.
