Latest update February 10th, 2025 7:48 AM
Bartica Cycling Challenge Former National Upright champ Ralph Belle excited about Saturday’s race
By Franklin Wilson
Ralph Belle -Former National Upright and Grass Track Cycle Champion.
“Well it would be a very good event because since I am here, they used to have cycling at first among our local people here in Bartica but this event is a historical one because the people here never witnessed national riders in action.”
The words of former national upright cycling champion Ralph Belle as he offered his take on this Saturday’s historic Bartica Cycling Challenge which has attracted the best cyclists in Guyana in every category.
Sponsored by the Bartica Town Council and Trophy Stall which has provided three trophies (senior, juvenile, female), the event is being organized by the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF).
Belle boasted that he was a champion (upright and grass track) in Guyana in 1982 and would have competed in Berbice, Linden and the City against the best Guyana had to offer in those days.
“Berbice had Russell Allen, Crawford and in Linden had Baker and Lance Ross, I beat all of them. On the road, I had Bissoon Parmadin, who was the champion of Guyana at the time to contend with but he used to hardly ride grass. He used to only come when they had Inter Guiana Games and I caught him and beat him in front of the then President Guyana, Forbes Burnham at Bourda.”
Belle said that Saturday’s event, which has over $400,000 in cash prizes at stake, will kick a love for the sport amongst the youths in Bartica who will see the nation’s best live in action.
“This event here will kick start and get some of the youths to know what cycling is about and they can move on from there with good coaching.”
Trophies up for grabs donated by The Trophy Stall – Bourda Market.
He informed that Hassan Mohamed M.S was his coach back then. “It was hard training in those days; I had to get up at 4 o’clock to go behind the national park at Kelly Dam where he would give you the warm up laps, 10 sprints from Monday to Friday. Saturday is rest to service and Sunday is races, so we had a tight schedule.”
During the week rides would see them doing a 28-mile distance beginning from the National Park to Melanie Damishana (13/14mile pole) and return with Sunday’s being the long ride to the first toll Station on the Linden Soesdyke Highway and return.
“Cycling is a very good sport, it can take you places as long as you train hard and remain disciplined but you have to be top class. Upright cycling which I used to do cannot take you overseas you have to go on the racing bike; I never went on the racing bike but I used to train with racing bike people like my best friend Randy Toussaint who used to encourage me, Aubrey Gordon, Neville Hunte, Arnette ‘Berbice’ John and James Fowler who brought me into cycling after seeing me sprint at my school then, Tutorial High.”
The 59 year-old Belle reminisced that after he linked up with Fowler, Hassan Mohamed saw him in action and approached him to be his coach. Thereafter he boasted, he became national champion in 1982 after being the runner-up in 1981 behind Bissoon Parmadin.
“But I took away his championship and then resigned at Bourda at the 1983 Inter Guiana Games. I won the first cycle race and after then Parmadin decided not to ride with me anymore at Bourda Cricket Ground and then I came to Bartica and worked speed boat.”
One of the best riders that Belle would have seen in his times he noted was Joylyn Joseph along with Aubrey Gordon.
Belle has expressed thanks to Mayor Marshall and his Councilors for teaming up with the Guyana Cycling Federation to bring off the historic event and he is urging all of Bartica to come out and enjoy a fantastic day of cycling where there would be keen rivalry in the senior, junior, juvenile, female and masters’ categories.
Races for BMX riders in the 6-9 years, 9-12 years and Open for Residents of Bartica will also form part of the day’s proceedings. The top senior will pocket $150,000. Accommodation would also be provided for those cyclists wishing to travel up on Friday.
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