By Rawle Toney
Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams returned to his winning ways when he coasted to victory in the inaugural Digicel/Cell Smart ‘Ride Smart’ Aids Awareness 20-lap cycle race yesterday around the outer circuit of the National Park.
The race, which was held in conjunction with the National Aids Programme Secretariat (NAPS) and the Kaieteur Cycle Club, saw Williams taking home the $30,000 first place cash prize after completing the distance in two hours, one minute and 20 seconds.
Alonzo Greaves finished second and pocketed $25,000, while Darren Allen, third, ($20,000) and Tony Simon, fourth ($15,000). Warren ‘40’ McKay ($10,000) and John Charles ($5,000) rounded off the top finishers.
Williams and Allen won four prime prizes of $1,000 each while Simon won three and Greaves, two.
Christopher Holder was the first junior cyclist to cross the line followed by Berbician Neil Reece while Paul De Nobrega placed third. Raymond Newton came in ahead of Junior Niles and Robert Beaton among the veterans.
As expected, the country’s top peddlers put on yet another great show for the scores of persons that lined the roadways.
The event started at the National Park entrance on Carifesta Avenue, and then proceeded onto Camp Street, into Thomas Lands, onto Vlissingen Road then back onto Carifesta Avenue.
Williams, Greaves, Allen and Simon got away from the bunch approximately half way into the race and the four staved off the rest of the hungry cyclists. In the back pack no one wanted to make a jump, a common move by local cyclists in recent times with all the cyclists riding strategically.
The front four riders continued to pace the race and by the time McKay and the rest of the riders in the chasing pack decided to make a jump it was too late as Williams and his foes finished a comfortable 35 seconds ahead of them.
Meanwhile, the BMX riders shared the spotlight with some exciting races with Raymond Perez winning the 9 – 12 category ahead of Deeraj Rambarran and Dineshwar Rajbeer. Perez was not as fortunate in the 12 – 14 category where he settled for third place behind winner Davenand Bissoon and Darius Ramsammy.
Cell Smart Country Manager David Atkinson lauded the participants for putting on a wonderful show and more particularly for participating in an event which he says is to sensitize the public on the deadly HIV/AIDS disease.
He pledged Cell Smart’s commitment to make the race an annual one with the incentives being bigger every year.