Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships 2016 – Individual Time Trials...

Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships 2016 – Individual Time Trials…

Jul 30, 2016 Sports

Guyanese quartet confident of doing well at biggest ever event
By Franklin Wilson in St. Lucia compliments of
Fazia’s Collection, Fitness Express and Germans Restaurant

What will be the biggest ever Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships ever held, will pedal off today on the island of St. Lucia with the Individual Time Trials and Guyana’s representatives among the 20-countries here to compete are all confident of representing well despite this event not being practiced much in the Land of Many Waters.
Junior National Champion (Individual Time Trials and Road Race) Christopher Cornelius will headline the trio in this category which also includes Jornel Yearwood and the experienced, Andrew Hicks. The lone juvenile is Zaman Khan.
The national ambassadors have all expressed confidence as well as Team Manager and Coach, Marc Sonaram and Randolph Roberts. Sonaram said that it is not an event that is focused too much on in Guyana so the main objective will be the road race.
Cornelius said that he will try to do his best and is aiming to win on debut at this level. “I will also be using this event as warm up for tomorrow’s road race. I am a bit nervous being this is my first time but am sure I will overcome this early and focus on the job at hand.”
Hicks, who represented Guyana at this level two years ago in Suriname, was confident when speaking with Kaieteur Sport and noted that he has trained hard for this moment.
”I am quite confident that I would do well in this and tomorrow’s events. I am aiming for a 1-3 finish in this my final year at this level.”
Yearwood too expressed sureness in his ability to shine at this level on debut. “I will use this opportunity and do the best I can for Guyana and myself. I am a bit nervous too but more confident than nervous.”
The lone juvenile competitor and baby of the team Zaman Khan said he was feeling very good about his chances in this event while stating emphatically that he is not feeling nervous at all and is just ready to compete.
Today’s Individual Time Trial will be held on Millennium Highway pedaling off from 14:00hrs near the La Toc Roundabout and travels 5KM towards Cul De Sac and 5KM back to starting line.
The girls will start the action followed one hour later by the juveniles at 15:00hrs while the juniors will kick off at 16:00hrs doing a distance of 20KM.
Teams competing are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Aruba, Curacao, Barbados, Bermuda, Belize, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Jamaica, Martinique, Puerto Rico, St. Martin French, St. Marteen Dutch, Suriname, St Lucia, United States Virgin Islands, Trinidad and Tobago.
Among the dignitaries that will be gracing this championship with their presence are Mr. Jose Manuel Pelaez President of the Pan American Cycling Confederation and Member of International Cycling Union Management Committee of Cuba; Mr. Trevor Bailey President of the Caribbean Cycling Confederation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Mr. Pedro Frias International Commissar of Cuba; Mr. Juan Mercado International Commissar of Venezuela and Mr. Michel Marie Sainte Technical Delegate of Martinique.
Meanwhile, the eagerly anticipated Road Race will be contested tomorrow in Vieux Fort starting from 08:00hrs on the Vieux Fort Laborie Highway/ Vieux Fort La Resource Circuit which goes around the airport with a distance of just under 12.5KM.
The girls will do 50KM (4 laps), juveniles 62KM(5 laps) and juniors 100km (8 laps).
Raphael Leung, the other junior rider here will don his national uniform for tomorrow’s event.