Robin Persaud edged home ahead of Walter Grant-Stewart yesterday morning to win the R&R International Limited-sponsored 40-mile cycle road race at West Bank Demerara.
The race rolled of from the Demerara Harbour Bridge from 09:00 hours, proceeded to Bushy Park on the East Bank of Essequibo, before returning to the Harbour Bridge for the finish.
The pair raced neck an neck all the way down to the wire as they darted to the finish line on the final stretch.
In the end it was Persaud who was first to cross the finish line in a winning time of one hour, 42 minutes and 41 seconds (1:42:41).
Grant-Stewart was a close second behind his rival Persaud, while the race’s defending champion, Geron Williams, who was not far behind the two front runners finished third. Williams had won the senior race last year in a time of one hour, 44 minutes and 53 seconds (1:44:53), a time easily beaten by Persaud this year.
In the wake of a long hiatus from competitive cycling, Darren Allen returned strongly to finish fourth in yesterday’s race with Alonzo Greaves placing fifth. Rounding off the top six finishers was newcomer to the cycling arena, junior cyclist Raynauth Jeffrey, who rode one of his best races to finish among the best senior cyclists. Jeffrey’s sixth place in the senior category, also guaranteed him the top spot in the junior race. Kurt LaRose was the second junior to cross the finish line.
Meanwhile Junior Niles rode away with the Veterans category with Ian Jackson taking the second position.
In addition to his winning monetary prize, Persaud was also awarded three prime prizes. Newton also bagged three prime prizes, while Grant-Stewart and Williams carted off two each. Monetary prizes went to the first six finishers in the senior category and the first two juniors and Veterans.
The R&R sponsored event was held as part of two races in observance of this year’s Mashramani celebrations. This is the 20th year R&R has sponsored the annual Mashramani Cycle Programme, which was organized by national cycling coach, Hassan Mohamed.
The programme began on Saturday at the National Park circuit with an 11-race cycle programme.
Greaves won the feature 35- lap Schools Boys and Invitational race of Saturday’s race in a time of one hour, 16 minutes, 14 seconds (1:16:14) and also copped two of the eight prime prizes distributed.
Williams was second in that race, while junior cyclist Paul De Nobrega finished third. Alex Mendes, Raymond Newton, and Kurt La Rose occupied the fourth to sixth positions respectively.
Williams and Mendes won two prime prizes each, while the other two were taken by De Nobrega and Eric Sankar.
Results from other categories in Saturday’s race are as follows:
12- 14 Boys and Girls (3 laps) – 1. Rawle Leal 2. Hazina Barret 3. Shaquel Agard
Veterans Under- 50 (5 laps) – 1. Kennard Lovell 2. Andrew Phang 3. Virgil Jones Veterans
Veterans Over- 50 (5 laps) – 1. Lancelot Rose 2. Courtney Thomas
Veterans Over- 60 (5 laps) – 1. Monty Parris 2. Maurice Fagundes 3. Anthony Fariah
Juveniles (10 laps) – 1. Michael Anthony 2. Montel Anthony 3. Delon Moore
Uprights (5 laps) – 1. Lear Nunes 2. Dexter Wilson 3. Mario King
BMX 6- 9 (2 laps) – 1. Jamal Arthur 2. Rashidi Ceres
BMX 9- 12 (2 laps) – 1. Raymond Perez 2. Shaquelle Campbell 3. Justin DeNobrega
BMX 12- 14 (3 laps) – 1. Darius Ramsamy 2. Kemraj Sanichar 3. Earl Ramkumar
BMX Open (3 laps) – 1. Hamza Eastman 2. Julio Melville
