Alonzo Greaves of Carlton Wheeler’s Cycle Club (CWCC) took over the leader’s position at the end of the second stage in this year’s 27th annual three-stage cycle road race yesterday.
The race is sponsored by the National Sports Commission (NSC).
Having finished second behind defending champion and former race leader Godfrey Pollydore in the first stage, Greaves displayed stamina and determination to take the second stage ahead of Andrew Reece, Leer Nunes, Christopher Holder, Tony Simon, Gregory Haymer and Gordon Kennedy in that order, thus taking over the lead from Pollydore going into today’s final stage.
After being sent on their way by national cycling coach
Hassan Mohammed for the second stage from Rosignol to Carifesta Avenue, Greaves, Kennedy, Simon and Eric Sankar made a move to front where they were joined by Warren McKay and Andy Singh at Weldaad, West Coast Berbice.
Kennedy, McKay and Singh then went to front, but their move was short lived, as Junior Niles and Simon, who was later joined by Greaves and Nunes, worked together until they wheeled in the front runners just before they crossed the Abary/Mahaicony Bridge.
The front pack stayed together until they approached the Mahaica New Road, from where Greaves, Kennedy, Simon and Sankar made another move to the front, increasing their lead from seconds to minutes over the peloton.
They worked in tandem through the villages on the East Coast Demerara, until they were caught by Haymer, Kennedy and Holder, who managed to reconnect with the front peloton, despite being dropped midway through the course.
The sprint to the finish line was a one man show, as Greaves displayed his sprinting prowess to take the stage from his competitors in a time of 2hrs.25m:17s, whilst McKay, Chris Pradel, Phillip Piggott, Sven Stekkle, Seder Ruiz and Niles finished 50 seconds behind the front runners.
Having completed the first stage in a record time of 1h.40m:08s Pollydore, who is looking for his fifth title in this event, finished alongside Aubrey Bryce and Samuel Barker, one minute and 39 seconds behind the 20-year-old Greaves, who was a dominant force on the local cycling scene last year.
In the first stage, Enzo Matthews, McKay and Niles made a move to the front of the peloton, before they were caught five minutes into the race.
But Matthews refused to be hemmed in by the peloton, even during the neutralization zone of the race which lasted for a period of 45 seconds and a distance of approximately two and half miles, because of unfit riding ground.
Albert Philander joined him during this time and they opened a 50 -metre lead over the peloton, before they were wheeled in when the race got underway at the Number 63 Village by Holder, Simon, Pollydore, Robin Persaud and Geron Williams.
They stayed together throughout the remainder of the race, Pollydore displaying his technique of yesteryear, outsprinting Persaud, Williams, Holder, Simon, Pradel and Greaves in that order to take the stage in a record time of 1hr.40:08s.
Greaves enters today’s final stage which pedals off from Kara Kara on the Linden Highway to Homestretch Avenue at 07.30am, with his eyes set on his first three- stage title. He holds a slim four seconds lead over Holder and a further five over Simon.
