Latest update April 7th, 2025 12:08 AM
Team Coco’s rules the roost
Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Annual Three Stage Cycle Road Race
Team Coco’s distinguished itself as a formidable cycling club when several of its riders, including Ivan Dominguez, who copped first place on the final stage and was later adjudged overall winner, when action in the 30th edition of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports Annual Three Stage Cycle Road Race concluded at the Old Ministry of Housing building, Homestretch Avenue, yesterday morning.
Team Cocoa riders bask in the throes of victory, from left: Dominguez, Matos, Cveli and Martinez
Dominguez registered 2:42:39secs, which represented a new record, but his teammate, Frank Travieso, who had captured the Corriverton-New Amsterdam leg one day earlier, failed to replicate that feat but finished closely on the wheels of Dominguez. Marlo Rodman, representing Heat Wave of Jamaica, closed off the podium spots while Daren Matthews and Leonardo Martinez finished 4th and 5th respectively.
According to reports, the event started at a blistering pace and 4 riders, Travieso, Cveli Santos, Dominguez and Marloe Rodman broke away from the bunch approximately 2 miles after turning onto the Linden Highway after starting at Kara Kara in Linden. This pattern continued right up to Supply EBD where the experts estimated that the leaders were at least 7 clear minutes ahead of the pack.
Shortly after entering Craig, Dominguez jumped the other three riders with only Travieso drumming up the required stamina to pursue. The two riders entered Homestretch Avenue almost neck to neck and played a tic-tac toe game until the eventual winner initiated the sprint to eventually prevail.
Meanwhile, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Frank Anthony was at the finish line and lamented the absence of local riders in the leading bunch. He said that the local riders obviously failed to adapt a team spirit thus allowing the overseas riders to capitalize on the technique. The Minister further repeated those sentiments at the prize giving ceremony at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) saying that local pedal pushers will be required to compete in tandem with a unified plan instead of taking a selfish approach.
Nevertheless, the Sports Minister complimented the riders while pointing out that the quality of competition has improved tremendously. He accredited this development to the number of overseas competitors that participated and committed to improvement in this department in the succeeding years. The Minister further urged journalists and cycling officials to work in tandem and document, for posterity, results and other records pertaining to the event.
Later in the programme, several Guyanese cyclists received brand new machines from Leon Davis of Team Coco’s. Mr. Davis said that as a young man practicing the trade he was not fortunate to own a cycle. He said that he is much better off now and would like to improve the fortunes of less fortunate cyclists. However, the local pedal pushers were shackled with one prerequisite before receiving the gift; they were required to give up their old machine so that other less fortunate cyclists could have enjoyed similar fortunes.
Among those receiving cycles are Enzo Matthews, Paul DeNobrega, Raynauth Jeffrey, Davenand Bissoon, Raul Leal, Juniour Niles, Andre Abdool and lone female, Hazina Bharrat among others. Each of these cyclists in turn handed over their machines for other less fortunate pedal pushers.
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