– John’s defence stymied by mechanical issues

By Michelangelo Jacobus

HAMZAH Eastman had an impressive win in yesterday’s eighth annual Powerade 46-mile cycling road race on the roadways of West Demerara while mechanical problems stymied his fellow Team Cocos cyclist, Jamual John’s hopes of retaining his title.
Leading a pack of at least seven cyclists, Eastman kept pace with breakaway riders, John and DeNobrega for the entire race.

With five miles left, it was clear who the top five finishers would be, but in what order was determined by the final sprint.
Eastman and John looked set to finish in the top two positions, but with at least 15 metres to go, John’s cycle chain slipped off the plate, resulting in him dropping to fourth.
Eastman on the other hand took the victory in one hour 40 minutes 15 second, ahead of Paul DeNobrega while Curtis Dey finished third and Romello Crawford fifth.
The top junior cyclist was Briton John while Junior Niles was the first veteran cyclist to cross the line.

Ahead of a possible Pan American Cycling Championship pick, Eastman related that he is in his best form thus far. He further expressed hope of making the trip to Argentina, but as is usual, expressed frustration at the lack of sponsorship.
It is unclear whether or not a contingent from the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) will make the trip, with finances being the major hurdle.

Despite repeated attempts to contact the GCF president, Horace Burrowes, it was only last week that a possible list of cyclists to make the trip to Argentina surfaced via social media.
Several cyclists have expressed frustration at the lack of communication and the poor organizational skills of the cycling administrators.