Latest update January 17th, 2025 6:30 AM
GCF Nat. C/ships Road Race – Hicks takes juvenile category
Geron Williams, Fraser-Green, Husbands, Newton & Fernandes take other divisions
By Franklin Wilson
The respective category winners of GCF Time Trials and Road Race display their medals.
New champions were crowned in every category by the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) when the 2014 National Road Race Championships were held yesterday.
For the first time in the history of the championships, the senior riders had to cover a distance of 100miles which saw the riders digging deep into their reserves.
Emerging as the best of the lot in a breathtaking finish was USA based Pro rider Geron Williams who staved off a stiff challenge from Marlon Williams and last year’s winner Raynauth Jeffrey to win the grueling event in Four Hours 25 Minutes 02 Seconds, the same time that was credited to the silver and bronze medal winners.
Some 53 riders overall faced starters orders for the premiere event on the local cycling calendar and they did not disappoint despite the senior category being very demanding.
With an exciting young crop of riders knocking at the door to take over from their senior counterparts, the junior category was always going to be exciting and so it was. They had to endure 70 miles of battle for the winner to be known.
Crossing the line first and earning bragging rights for the next year as the best junior in Guyana was Stephano Husbands of Team Coco’s, clocking Two Hours 31 Minutes 24.08 Seconds. The same time was credited to the silver and bronze medalist, Akeem Arthur and Alanzo Ambrose.
UK based Claire Fraser-Green, who had won the Time Trials on Saturday, was way too much for the younger female riders to handle especially after last year’s champion Naiomi Singh again had to drop out like the day before due to mechanical problems.
So it was easy sailing more or less for Fraser-Green who took the gold medal as she covered the 45 mile course from Homestretch Avenue to Kuru Kururu on the Linden Soesdyke highway in Two Hours 13.84 Seconds.
Taking silver medal in Two Hours 42 Minutes 13 Seconds was the emerging Tashwanna Doris with Crystal Lambert crossing the line in Three Hours 07 Minutes 56 Seconds.
Over-45 veteran winner Raymond ‘Steely’ Newtown (Roraima Bikers Club) claimed the double (Time Trials & Road Race) like female winner Fraser-Green, crossing the line in One Hour 56 Minutes 06 Seconds; Newton and Under-45 winner Stephen Fernandes excited the fans at the line when they battled each other to the line, Newton emerging ahead of the younger Fernandes who got the same time.
Shameer Baksh and Ian ‘Deaf’ Boy Jackson, last year’s winner, took the silver and bronze medal respectively.
Talim Shaw and Everal Mundy were the silver and bronze medalists in the Under-45 division.
Berbician and Trojan Cycle Club member Andrew Hicks became the first ever juvenile winner of the Road Race title, outhustling Raphael Leung and Romelo Crawford covering the 40-mile race in One Hour 45 Minutes 58 Seconds.
The first to second place riders in each category of the Time Trials and Road Race were presented with gold, silver and bronze medals by the GCF, while the respective gold medalists also received Championship Jerseys.
Geron Williams speaking with the media after the race said that it was a grueling contest for him but credited his win to being patient and strategic given the fact that it was the longest race yet in the history of the National Raod Race championships.
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