By Calvin Roberts
Fourteen-year-old cycling sensation Neil Reece of Flying Ace Cycle Club turned in some creditable performances recently in Trinidad and Tobago at the Beacon Cycling championships which featured the West Indies versus The Rest of the World Cycling Series.
Reece had three podium finishes in the three races he participated in, with a first place in the final race being the highlight of his trip.
In the first race over three laps around the Arima Velodrome, Reece placed second to Trinidadian Joel Browne with another Trinidadian Calvin Roberts placing third.
The placing was then reversed in the second race held at the Skinner Park Velodrome covering four laps with Browne coming out on top and Roberts and Reece placing second and third respectively.
Then it was Reece’s turn to hog the spotlight when he won the final event, a five-lap race around the Skinner Park Velodrome ahead of Browne and Roberts respectively.
In an invited comment, Reece told Stabroek Sport that he was delighted with his achievements in Trinidad.
“The experience was a good one for me, especially riding in the Arima Velodrome. My first race in Skinner Park was difficult for me as I was nervous. But my coach Randolph Roberts told me to go out there and make my country proud and that is what took me through especially in the final race,” Reece stated.
He said he was looking forward to his return to Trinidad where he received a special invitation to participate in the Junior Caribbean Gold Cup Cycling Championship scheduled to be held in July.
Reece and his coach, Roberts, expressed their gratitude to all those whose timely contributions assisted them in making the trip to Trinidad – Banks DIH Limited, Water Chris Hotel, A Ally and Sons Limited, Mursalene Bacchus, Alphonso and Sons Limited and others who are too numerous to mention.
