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Time trials and road race set for today
Guyana's Claire Fraser (right) trains with Kathryn Bertime of St. Kitts & Nevis.
Guyana’s riders continues to persevere despite challenges at the Pan American Track & Field Cycling championships which are being held in Medellin, Columbia.
The Guyanese finally received their cycles which did not arrive with them due to some lapses by the airline. The lone rider to compete so far, Scott Savory, who is still without one of his bags which contains some equipment and personal clothing was able to use a burrowed bike to compete and according to Manager Shaun Green, the Guyanese are growing in confidence.
Geron Williams and the lone female Claire Fraser have been training hard and acclimatizing to the conditions and altitude. The duo will be in action today in the 1500m Time Trials and a 2000m Road Race.
The host nation riders are favourites to dominate but Green said that the Guyanese riders are all “ready to race hard.” Green reported that Savory and the others are competing to gain as much experience as possible and on Tuesday last he rode the Points Race heats and at one time was comfortably placed in the bunch.
“Savory and two other riders became detached from the main group as the pace jumped up because of attacks at the front. He {Savory} got back into the bunch but a small group had gone away, led by the Colombian World Champion Edwin Avila Vanegas and aided by the Argentinean Gerardo Fernandez.
The talent of the world class riders shone through as they took a lap. Savory jumped away a few laps later in an attempt to regain the lap, he went away quickly initially but then his legs tied having gained half a lap. He kept riding until the bunch caught him and he got back on briefly, but the effort had taken its toll and he drifted backwards, legs burning and spent. He abandoned the event with around 2kms to go, knowing that he could not qualify from that position.”
The heat had been shortened from 15km to 10km due to major disruptions in the programme as a result of heavy rainfall. Lots of mopping up work had to be done in order to make the Track race ready.
“The UCI officials did a good job at juggling the schedule to fit in as much as they could, but the evening session on Tuesday was cut short as another downpour made the track too dangerous to ride.”
On Wednesday Savory was again in action, this time in the Kieron first round and Repechage which was a new experience for him.
“He rode extremely well but the track craft of the more experienced riders, most of whom are Sprint and Kieron specialists, spending much of their time on the velodrome meant he was always at a disadvantage. He rode well in the first round but with only the first placed rider automatically going through, Savory had to go again and race later in the day in the Repechage.
This is a series of races where the rest of the riders compete for a place in the next round. Again, only the first placed rider progressed in the competition and Savory was in the mix coming into the final bend. He couldn’t come around the five other riders who were now at full speed sprinting for the line, but it showed he has the basics to ride well at this level.”
Green stated that the lack of a track here meant that the talent and determination that are being displayed the local riders are not enough at this level. “Until there is a track and a development programme to accompany it, the country’s top riders will struggle to compete against regulars on the World Cup circuit. There has been much talk between the Caribbean countries about a joint programme, based perhaps in Barbados, Jamaica or Trinidad, where talented riders could attend training camps and ride the track as well as the road.
This however, will not happen until the world governing body, the UCI, give the support that is required through funding and coaches.”
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