By Faizool Deo`

 CHRISTOPHER Griffith stormed to victory in the feature 35-lap School Boys and Invitational race yesterday at the eighth annual Payless Variety Store cycling race on the Inner Circuit at the National Park in Georgetown.

Griffith, who beat off Michael Anthony and Jamual John for the top spot in a sprint finish, registered a staggering time of 1:14:45.60. In fact, the top three finishers who all clocked under one hour and 15 minutes were way ahead of the last year’s top finish of 1:17:44.94 by Briton John.

Briton John, who suffered mechanical problems bowed out of the race early.

It was Jamual who took the early lead and eventually Anthony and Griffith joined him. They stayed together until a few hundred metres from the finish line and Griffith won the sprint to register his first win of the season.

The 23-year-old said that the trio decided to ride as a team in preparation for next month’s Caribbean Cycle Championships in Cuba.

During their stint together, they lapped the entire field.

Paul De Nobrega finished fourth and Curtis Dey fifth.

Jamual John captured four prime prizes, while Griffith and Anthony nabbed two each.

In the 10 laps, Juveniles, Sherwin Sampson finished ahead of Shamaul Young and Emmanuel Redd, while Junior Niles claimed victory ahead of Lear Nunes and Kwamie Ridley in a time of 29:38.53 in the Veterans U-50 five laps race.

Andrew Spencer won the five-lap Veteran Over-50 race ahead of Ian Jackson and Kennard Lovell.

Meanwhile, in the BMX Boys 6-9 years old two laps, Lennox Jackman got the better of William Green.