The next breed of champion cyclists should be determined sometime in the next few weeks.
A five-stage cycle road race has been confirmed by the Ministry of Sport as the next big event on this country’s sporting calendar.
Poised as a potential Caribbean event, the race will feature a daunting 365 kilometre trek from as far as Corriverton in Berbice, to roadways in Essequibo, to the streets of Linden and Georgetown. Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Steve Ninvalle told Stabroek Sport in an interview yesterday that a committee headed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Keith Booker, was finalizing plans for the event.
Ninvalle said the Booker Committee had already met with a group of the nation’s top cyclists and laid out the plans for the race which were reportedly well received.
“Everybody is enthused by this; the cyclists gave us great feedbacks and suggestions.
“We have sent out invitations to Antigua, Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Trinidad and Suriname and while most of them are indicating that they will need time to plan as a team, there are good indications of individual competitors from these countries,” Ninvalle said.
With a 200,000 dollar first prize in addition to prime point prizes, this new feature is unprecedented in Guyana.
He added, “this has the potential to be the biggest thing on our sporting calendar with participation from riders around the Caribbean and even further afield. Some will come for the appealing prize money while the sheer challenge of the course will entice other foreign riders.”
The race course will see the riders hitting the streets in Corriverton all the way to New Amsterdam for the first stage on November 29.
After crossing the Berbice River by ferry, the riders will then be back in the saddle the same day for the ride from Rosignol to Georgetown which constitutes the second stage.
The next day the race resumes with the third stage on the West Bank of Demerara from Wales to Parika.
The fourth stage will be held in the Cinderella County with the riders hitting the road from Charity to Adventure and then to Suddie on December 1. The final stage will be held on December 2 and should prove the most gruelling.
The Linden to George-town hill-strewn trek should separate the men from the boys and provide the sternest of tests for this country’s premier cyclists.
Taking a page out of the book of the World’s most illustrious cycle race, the Tour De France, the Tour of Guyana race will see the race leader at the end of each stage being presented with the yellow jersey making that person the marked individual for the next stage. Along the course will also be various prizes for the first rider past highlighted landmarks in each area or community.
The second prize is 150,000 dollars with 100,000 dollars as the third prize.
The prize list extends all the way to tenth place while there will be individual incentives for the best performing junior and veteran riders.
The Booker Committee also comprises National Cycling Coach Hassan Mohammed, Ninvalle, President of the Cycling Federation Hector Edwards, Director of Sport Neil Kumar and Nazim Hussain.
The committee will be meeting again sometime this week to finalize all plans for the event.
