Rastaff O’Selmo relentlessly pedalled away from all rivals in the four races he rode on Wednesday at the Bauxite Flyers Cycling Club (LBFCC) Independence Day cycling meet held in Amelia’s Ward, Linden.
The event was enthusiastically supported by a multitude of fans who cheered on the large turnout of cyclists from Linden and Georgetown.
Crowd favourite, O’Selmo, stamped his intention from the inception when he won the curtain raiser Open category five-lap event.
He returned, still energized, to capture the juniors’ race over five high-speed laps.
Second was Delano Johnson who just could not keep up with the 18- year-old while Dellon Moore finished in third place.
Next up was the four laps race for Linden cyclists only which was run concurrently with the Open upright category.
In the mass start with the two categories combined O’Selmo left the entire field of competitors to the delight of his fans.
The closing race, however, was O’Selmo’s prime moment. Reduced from 30 laps due to time constraints, O’Selmo calmly glided through the 15-lap event never giving any doubt as to who was the race leader.
Meanwhile, in the ladies race, excitement rose as a monetary collection built up for a first place prize. The result was that Hazina Bharrat went home $10,000 richer when she beat Golin Dabydeen into second place.
The only other participant Shonnette McFarlane came in third. And in the 10-lap category 1 and 2 event, Marlon `Fishy’ Williams gave his adversaries no chance whatsoever riding away with the first place position while capturing all three of the prime prizes.
Warren McKay and Jude Bentley fought desperately for second place with McKay prevailing.
Bentley ended third.
In the seven laps category three to four event, Lewis and Orville Hinds kept interchanging the lead again and again.
Lewis took the fourth lap prime prize while Hinds prevailed in the sixth.
In the end, Lewis crossed the finish line first ahead of Hinds with Walter Grant Stewart in third place.
The BMX races were just as lively. In the 6 – 9 years-old category, Sylvon Lewis seized the chance to shine by winning the event.
Devoy Benjamin was second and Jamal Arthur, third.
In the four-lap 12 – 16 years-old category Dellius Richardson was triumphant followed by Akeem Arthur and Michael Anthony in second and third place respectively. Raymond Newton won the veterans category.
The event also drew exemplary support from sponsors with Namilco and Singh’s Confectionary being rivaled by the hordes of impromptu cash donations that were accumulated throughout the day. However the most flourishing of impromptu sponsors was Bernard’s Variety Store which raised a total monetary sponsorship throughout the day in excess of $35,000. Other notable sponsors were Eusie McLean, Julius Lewis and Keith Francis.
President of the club, Brian McRae said that he was pleased with the success of the meet and the club’s overall operations since its establishment in December 2009.
The club currently has 10 committee members and some 30 cyclists.