Seasoned campaigner Robin Persaud capitalized on the absence of a number of leading cyclists to win the Cheddi Jagan annual memorial 50-mile road race held on the Essequibo Coast yesterday.
Robin Persaud
Persaud, a member of the Carlton Wheelers Cycle club won the event in 2 hours16 minutes 36.25 seconds with the second place occupied Tony Simon followed by Christopher Persaud, Walter Grant-Stuart, Albert Philander and Sherwin Alves in that order to close out the top six.
Kennard Lovell
The overall winner also won 5 of the 8 prime prizes on offer. Simon claimed 2 with the other going to Philander.
Winning the junior category was Regan Gibbons with Kennard Lovell winning among the veterans, Linden Blackman and Virgil Jones finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively.
Linden’s Garfield Lorimer was the best upright rider on show, upstaging Dexter Wilson and Shawn Frank in that order. The Essequibians fielded a team of 8 riders in this category for the first time.
Winning the prize for the first over 60-rider finishing the event was Anthony Fariah.
Naiomi Singh took the first prize among the females, while the first male and female riders from the Cinderella County to cross the line were Alonzo Fernandes and Cassandra Sulker. A total of 37 riders faced the starting line.
Assisting with the presentation of prizes were Presidential Advisor Navin Chandrapaul, Regional Chairman Ally Baksh, Member of Parliament Parmanand along with representatives of the sponsors, El Dorado Trading, Suresh Jagmohan, Tamish Jagmohan Senior and Junior.