Bentley storms to OWTU win

Jun 18, 2009 Sports

Dispels local critics

Jude Bentley

Embattled Guyanese cyclist, Jude Bentley sent a statement to local cycling officials, when he stormed to the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) Road Race overall title on Sunday, in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Starlite Heatwave Cycle Club cyclist won the race ahead of Ringtech Sonics’, Barry Luces and Rudy Ashton respectively. The result will raise questions on the reinstatement of Bentley to competitive cycling in Guyana.
“Both cyclist and support team worked exceptionally well on a race course that is always a challenge to service,” Bentley’s Trinidadian manager, Edward Watson said in an email subsequent to the completion of the race.

The Disciplinary Committee of the Guyana Cycling Federation met on May 23 and 30 in 2006 to penalise Bentley and Warren McKay after reported indiscipline on their way to, and in Australia for the Commonwealth Games.
McKay and Bentley were both guilty of similar infractions but McKay received a lighter sentence: McKay was suspended for six months and fined $10,000 while his counterpart was suspended for one year and fined $20,000.
This newspaper understands that Bentley had an arrangement to pay his fine sometime in September 2007 but was told that the cycling federation has to meet to decide whether or not they will allow him back into the sport.
Bentley has not been able to compete locally since 2006 and that raises ethical queries about his relationship with the federation. The top rider will compete again in Trinidad in two more road races on Saturday and Sunday.

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