Latest update December 25th, 2024 1:10 AM
May 16, 2011 Sports
By Franklin Wilson
Celebrations for Guyana 45th Independence Anniversary got off to a cracking start with the completion of the 29th Annual Three-Stage cycle road race which has been deemed a resounding success.
Having given up the first place in the first two stages, Team Guyana did ensure that Team Coco’s of Miami did not make a clean sweep of the top places when an inspired Godfrey Pollydore won the 3rd stage from Kara Kara in Linden to Carifesta Avenue (64.5 miles 103.3km) in 2 hours 46 minutes 22 seconds, outsprinting over one dozen riders including teammate and dethroned champion Warren ‘Forty’ McKay and the New Overall Champion, Yosmani Pol in that order. In taking the overall trophy and cash prize Pol shattered the record of 6 hours 54 minutes 54 seconds, which was set by Pollydore in 1998 and replaced it with a new mark of 6 hours 39 minutes 59 seconds.
It was sweet revenge for McKay who also finished 2nd overall, when he placed ahead of Pol who had won both stage one and two; relegating McKay to the runner-position on both occasions.
Closing out the top six positions overall were Frank Taravieso – Team Coco’s (6 hours 40 minutes 13 seconds); Phillip Clarke – Team Heat Wave of Trinidad and Tobago (6 hours 40 minutes 24 seconds); Joshua Alexander – Team Heat Wave (6 hours 42 minutes 26 seconds) and Antonio Quintero – Team Coco’s (6 hours 42 minutes 26 seconds). Alexander got the nod for 5th place by virtue of finishing ahead of Quintero in two stages of the race.
Taking the top junior position was Paul Nobrega of Continental Cycle Club, while the leading veteran was Quintero who had won the last five-stage race as well as the veteran category but could not repeat such a feat in this event.
Jose Navaro (Team Coco’s) won 4 of the six primes on offer in the final stage with the other 2 going to Guy Costa of Team Heat Wave.
The final stage saw a number of breaks on the Linden Soesdyke Highway as the cyclists sought to gain early ascendancy but by and large, no one was able to really be effective in this regard as the main pack was always within striking range.
Again, the experience, professional approach and tactical abilities of Team Coco’s were outstanding. They stuck as a team throughout the stage as they did in the previous two. They attacked in numbers and also paced in like manner, never allowing the opposing teams to dictate the pace for too long.
For almost the entire stage, the 43-starters were huddled together but only the fittest survived and shared in the spoils. McKay’s brilliance apart from Pollydore’s winning of the final stage was bright spots for the local Team which competed as a unit for the first time.
In brief remarks before the presentation, the Honorable Minister of Sports Dr. Frank Anthony while congratulating all the riders and officials for a fine job in making the event, which was undoubtedly the largest in its history, urged Team Guyana and the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) to learn from the overseas riders when it comes to competing as a team.
“I am pleased with your participation and that of the overseas contingents as well as the youths and lone female. But I would hope that you local riders would have learnt some lessons from your experience so that you can improve the next time around, looking ahead to the five-stage race which we will bring off in September.”
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Sports, Alfred King, also commended the athletes for playing their part in the success of the event. King also noted that this 3-stage contest kicked off activities for Guyana’s 45th Independence Anniversary celebrations.
“I would like to see the Guyana team branded, I would like to see our team in training with an appointed Coach,” King revealed.
GCF President Cheryl Thompson in her remarks said that the event was very competitive and urged the cyclists to continue training hard, be disciplined and work as a team. Director of Sport Neil Kumar was also on hand to share the moment with the top performers.
The youngest competitors in the race were 14 year-old Guyanese Raul Leal of Flying Ace Cycle Club and 13 year-old Jameel Meerberg of Suriname. The lone female was Naiomi Singh who completed two of the three stages.
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