Leer Nunes captured the fifth and final stage of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport five stage event but Alonzo Greaves won the overallevent and the first prize of $200,000 when the event climaxed yesterday morning on Homestrectch Avenue.
Nunes endured first the flu bug that affected him from the eve of the fourth stage, then persistent rain on the East Bank of Demerara to blow away his opponents winning yesterday’s fifth stage of the HIV/AIDS Awareness inaugural cycle road race.
He recorded a time of 2:49:23s in covering the 65-mile event which started at Kara Kara village in Linden and ended on Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown.
Regional Chairman of Region 10, Mortimer Mingo, sent the 19 riders on their way at exactly 8.30am and first stage winner, Warren McKay, did not hesitate to take a 75-metre lead on the peloton.
However, as they approached Amelia’s Ward Hill, McKay was caught by the peloton which included Nunes, overall race leader Greaves, stage four winner Ian ‘Dumb Boy’ Jackson, stage three winner Robin Persaud, the `unlucky’ John Charles, Enzo Matthews, national junior road race champion Chris Holder, Junior Niles and the veteran Linden Blackman.
Nunes, Persaud, Matthews, Blackman, Niles, Geron Williams and Scott Savoury suddenly made a break and left the pack from Millie’s Turn and led all the way until they reached touching distance of the Umbrella Resort.
McKay then surged to the front on his own as the cyclists approached Harununi Hill.
But, after being there for 10 minutes, he was caught in the vicinity of the Emerald Tower Resort entrance from where Nunes made his move five minutes after.
He first took the prime sprint prize in front of the Splashmin’s Resort and never looked back as he opened a lead of 30 seconds which gradually increased as the miles flashed by.
As he approached the Soesdyke junction, drizzles greeted him along with cheers from the onlookers who paved the way. He increased his lead to two minutes on the peloton and crossed the finish line 3:11s ahead of the chasing bunch.
Mc Kay, Niles, Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams, Greaves and Robin Persaud all finished in that order in a bunch time of 2:52:34s.
Charles, who can consider himself rather unlucky in the last two stages of this race having encountered a flat tyre previously, suffered a broken chain yesterday just as he made the turn for home with the peloton.
Nunes took the third position behind Greaves and Williams while Persaud, McKay, Charles, Holder, Niles, Jackson and Matthews rounded out the top 10 finishers.
The presentation will me done at a date to be announced.
