In hindsight the 2010 cycling year was a challenging, but rewarding ride for Guyana’s cyclists. The year 2010 saw some of the country’s top cyclists venturing across the globe to compete and show their grit at international events and battle against the local competition for national supremacy.
From India to the Caribbean, our cyclists competed, but some of the fiercest rivalries were found right here at home.
The regular cycle race meets organized by National Cycling coach, Hassan Mohamed in and around the National Park circuit provided a local battle ground for these rivalries, kept cyclists active and supplied entertainment for fans throughout the year.
Last year Mohamed organised 12 youth programmes in the National Park, 10 road races, one cycle track meet at the Everest ground and the ‘Teach Them Young’ cycling programme, which he described as his “cycling nursery”.
The year 2010 also saw national cycling events staged by the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the National Sports Commission.
These events included the annual three-stage cycle race, the GCF National Cycling Championships and the Ride For Life, five-stage cycle road race.
Warren `Forty’ McKay overcame a field of competitive cyclists to retain his title at the championships and repeated this dominant performance at the NSC Annual Three-Stage Cycle Road Race where he was declared the overall winner.
However, McKay had to settle for sixth in the fourth annual Ride For Life cycle road race, which was won by Miami-based cyclist Antonio Quintero.
Apart from contesting the foreigners on home soil, Guyana senior national cyclists ventured abroad to participate in the cycling events of the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games.
Roraima Bikers Club cyclist Alonzo Greaves’ preparation on local soil prior to the CAC Games paid off substantially when he finished one second shy of a podium position as he was among the top finishers in the 88-mile road race which saw 81 starters.
Greaves pedalled his way into the close knit lead pack to finish in 10th place with a time of three hours, 30 minutes and 52 seconds (3.30.52), one second behind the winner Honorio Machado of Venezuela.
Meanwhile, Guyana’s other male representative Geron Williams placed 25th with a time of three hours, 30 minutes and 58 seconds (3.30.58).
The national cyclists next stop took them across the globe to India for last year’s Commonwealth Games, but on this trip it was Williams who took the forefront with his notable performance.
In the midst of a field of professional cyclists from around the world, some of whom are world champions and who were fresh out of participation in last July’s Tour de France, the 19-year-old cyclist, Williams, completed the 168km road race in the 31st position.
What makes Williams’ performance even more credible is the fact that of the 130 riders who started the race, only 52 managed to finish the event.
The set that did not finish includes Guyana’s other male representatives for the Games’ cycling events, Alonzo Greaves and Marlon Williams.
The juniors also departed the shores in search of gold at the Fifth Annual Youth Caribbean Cycling Championships held in Aruba on August 7-8 last.
National cyclists Christopher Holder and Marica Dick returned from the Youth Championships with a bronze medal apiece and ensured the Guyana contingent did not come back empty handed.
Holder earned his medal riding in the junior category of the 80km race while Dick earned her medal in the 60km female equivalent.
Kurt La Rose, who participating in the juvenile category, placed seventh from 29 participants while Neil Reece also participated in the junior category alongside Holder.
Guyana’s team, which also included La Rose and Reece finished third out of 11 countries.
Though not medalling at the championships, the year did not end without Reece grabbing a medal as he had bagged his earlier in 2010 at the Beacon Cycling Festival in Trinidad and Tobago.
The Junior National Cycling Champion Reece captured gold and a silver medal at the Beacon Cycling Festival last April.
The 17-year-old Reece blew away the competition in the four-lap event to take first place and secure the gold medal, then copped silver in the 14-lap Open event at the festival. He also put up a solid performance in the five-lap event but fell short of a podium position when he came in fifth. With the hope of providing better facilities so that cyclist would be better prepared for international meets, 2010 also saw promises being made to Mohamed that the National Park circuit will be resurfaced.
As it is, the construction of a Velodrome in Guyana seems to be a far cry, but the resurfacing of the National Park appears to be a more realistic approach for the development of cycling.
The current state of the inner circuit of the National Park has been hindering and posing unnecessary dangers for cyclists participating in events at the venue.
However, on a positive note, the national cycling coach revealed that he was informed that the inner circuit of the National Park, where he stages his circuit races, will be refurbished.
Mohamed was unwilling to reveal who was the authority that guaranteed that the park will be resurfaced, but assured that it will be done, even though, according to him, a deadline for the completion or commencement of the project was not given.
