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Niles repeats; Hinds, Fraser-Green & Jeffrey are new champions
GCF National Road Race C/ships 2012
By Franklin Wilson
Veteran Junior Niles was the only rider to successfully hold on to bragging rights and retain dominance in their particular category when the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) brought off the 2012 edition of the National Road Race Championships.
I’ve Got the Double!!! Claire Fraser-Green raises her hand in triumph as she crosses the line. (Franklin Wilson photo)
The historical event started and ended in the Bauxite Mining Town of Linden for the first time and fittingly, Linden’s own, 22 year-old Orville Hinds of the Bauxite Flyers Cycle Club destroyed the field in the senior category to win handsomely and in the process chalked up the most significant victory of his budding career.
It was a good day for Linden as another of their riders, Andrew Reece, took the second place in the senior category with Eric Sankar third and defending champion Walter Grant-Stuart having to settle for fourth.
Also in very dismissive mood on a sunny and humid morning was junior winner Raynauth Jeffrey, who achieved the double. Jeffrey on Saturday won the Time Trials and yesterday displayed his class to separate himself from the rest of the field winning almost two minutes ahead of his nearest rival.
Raul Leal, another budding star as is Linden’s Michael Anthony, claimed the second and third places among the juniors.
Like Jeffrey, female winner, Claire Fraser-Green won the double following up her Time Trials win on Saturday with an exciting win yesterday. Fraser-Green, who is based in the UK, out-sprinted leading local female Naomi Singh to win her first GCF Road Race title.
The event in itself was grueling given the hilly terrain that the riders had to traverse. Previous National Championships were much easier given the flat nature of the course but this year that was not to be; the new course presented its own challenges for the competitors.
Hinds, however, who trains on the Linden Soesdyke Highway almost every day was at home for the event and proved his worth by taking the coveted crown and bragging rights for the next year.
A consistent performer this season, Hinds, who said he came to the starting point with the spirit of victory, broke away on the downward journey along with Warren ‘Forty’ Mc Kay, Enzo Matthews and Geron Williams at Loo Creek.
The riders inter-changed the lead at various intervals to keep the momentum going as they left the main pack in their wake. Matthews was dropped on the upward journey; Mc Kay suffered a puncture while Williams cramped up at Soweyo which left Hinds standing alone.
This was not new to him as many times he trains alone on the Highway, he {Hinds} kept digging in and motivating himself as he was able to hold off the main pack to win the race.
At right, Junior Niles repeats as veteran Road Race Champion, while centre, Raynauth Jeffrey crosses unchallenged to win the junior category and new Senior Road Race King of Guyana Orville Hinds about to raise his hands in triumph. (Franklin Wilson photos)
Jeffrey too, recorded the biggest win of his still young career. The 18 year-old member of Carlton Wheelers Cycle Club (CWCC) also said that he was confident before the race and that he worked hard for the victory.
Niles was in vintage form and was fresh sine he did not compete in the Time Trials on Saturday. His rivals were not able to hold him off as he was able to outmuscle Ian ‘Deaf Boy’ Jackson and Shameer Baksh in that order to the line.
Fraser-Green was pushed to the limit as local based Naomi Singh upped her game and was narrowly edged by Fraser-Green for the top spot.
The race which started at Amelia’s Ward in Linden saw the senior riders going all the way to Madewini on the Linden Soesdyke Highway and returning to the starting line for the finish. The Junior competitors which numbered 16, made their way to Kuru Kuru before returning, while the females and veteran cyclists turned back at Dora.
The top three finishers in each category were presented with gold, silver and bronze medals with winners each receiving a championship jersey which they can wear at races throughout the next year. Similar prizes were presented to the top performers at the Time Trials.
The fans in Linden welcomed the move by the GCF to start and end the race there and it was the view of many that the race route should be maintained as their premier route for the National Championships given the challenging nature of the course.
Full results:
Seniors – Orville Hinds, Andrew Reece, Eric Sankar, Walter Grant-Stuart, Davenand Bissoon, Enzo Matthews, Gordon Sampson, Lear Nunes, Robin Persaud and Jude Bentley.
Juniors – Raynauth Jeffrey, Raul Leal, Michael Anthony, Akeem Arthur.
Veterans – Junior Niles, Ian Jackson, Shameer Baksh, Kennard Lovell, Raymond Newton.
Females – Claire Fraser-Green, Naomi Singh, Marica Dick.
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