WHEN cyclists face the starter at 08:00hrs on Saturday, Guyana’s `big guns’ in the sport of cycling will battle in a race against time, as the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) runs off its national men’s individual time trials around the Mahaicony circuit, East Coast Demerara.The time trials will be used by the GCF to select local teams to represent Guyana at regional and international meets, hence competitors will be seeking to ink their names with a view of being selected for such meets.
On Saturday, the Junior, Juveniles, Veterans and Elite categories will be contested as the Ladies category was ran off last Saturday around the same 5.5 miles circuit.
Intense rivalry in all the categories is expected as most of the country’s locally based top wheelsmen (Elite) are currently in tremendous form. Adding to this, local senior cyclists based in the United States have been creating waves on the U.S. circuit.
Unlike last year when the event was staged along the East Coast Highway and which saw the competitors enjoy the assistance of the Atlantic breeze on their backs for most of the four-mile event, this time around, they will have to contend with breeze against their chest for approximately three miles, as the circuit is situated not far from the Atlantic Ocean and could prove a problem for most of them.
To make matters worse, Saturday’s event is an individual time trial, so there will be no club/teammates to shelter anyone and this will make the event even more exciting.
The cyclist with the fastest time for the event will obviously be named the champion and will have bragging rights for another year.
Last Saturday, United Kingdom-based Guyanese Claire Fraser-Green won the Ladies Individual time trial in a time of 13 minutes .02 seconds, while locally based cyclists Christine Mattehson and Romella Samuels placed second and third respectively.
On the very day (last Saturday), the GCF ran off the road races for juniors, juveniles, veterans and ladies, Fraser-Green dominated the latter category, winning the four-lap race in one hour, seven minutes .06 seconds. Mattehson and Samuels placed second and third respectively.
Meanwhile, the 70-mile road race for the elite class (Category on to four) cyclists’ will be staged on Sunday around the outer circuit of the National Park beginning at 11:00hrs.
The event is a 30-lap affair which will get underway with a roll start and conclude outside the Guyana Defence Force compound on Irving Street, opposite Sandy Babb Street, Kitty. (Michael DaSilva)