By Emmerson Campbell
After two days, three stages and 170 miles of cycle racing from Berbice to Linden, and despite the exhortations of Guyana’s Minister of Sport Dr, Frank Anthony, Team CoCo’s dominance of the roadways continued yesterday when Ivan Dominguez was declared this year’s 30th annual three stage road race winner. |
Dominguez’s total time overall time of six hours, 44 minutes and 54 seconds was enough to lift this year’s title. Yosmani Pol, also of Team Coco’s had won last year’s event in six hours, 39 minutes and 34 seconds.
Dominguez, who entered the final stage in fifth position overall, led four of his teammates into the top six overall positions.
Only Heat Wave’s Jamaican Rodman, who was fourth overall (six hours, 47 minutes, six seconds) prevented the Miami-based club from a clean sweep.
Dominguez ensured victory by winning yesterday’s final stage from Kara Kara, Linden to Homestretch Avenue (64 miles) in record time (two hours, 42 minutes, 39 seconds).
Teammate Frank Travieoso and Heat Wave’s Marlo Rodman, were second and third respectively.
Team CoCo’s Darren Matthews, Leonardo Martinez and David Santos, claimed the next three places in yesterday’s final stage.
Martinez was second overall (six hours, 46 minutes, and 55 seconds) Travieoso (six hours, 46 minutes and 59 seconds) was third overall.
Matthews (six hours,47 minutes and six seconds)and Santos (six hours, 52 minutes and 29 seconds) were fifth and sixth overall respectively.
The top six received lucrative cash prizes and trophies.
Travieoso won the first stage and Santos took the second.
17-year old Raynauth Jeffrey, who was in second position overall behind Santos heading into yesterday’s final stage, placed seventh in the final stage and seventh overall.
He finished three seconds behind Santos (six hours,52 minutes and 32 seconds).
The rapidly improving junior, who was praised heavily at the prize-giving ceremony at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, was the first junior and Guyanese finisher overall.
He was followed by 36-year-old Robin Persaud.
Persaud was eighth overall.
Jeffrey also won five prime prizes, Rodman copped seven, while four went to Santos and one each went to Matthews and Dominguez.
Jeffrey was also one of nine cyclists who were awarded new racing cycles by Team CoCo’s owner Ian Davis at the prize giving ceremony.
The other eight were Paul DeNobrega, Christopher Holder, Davendra Bissoon, Enzo Matthews, Junior Niles, Raul Leal and females Hazina Bharrat and Naomi Singh
The first veteran finisher was Kennard Lovell (six hours, 56 minutes and 53 seconds) and the first female was German rider Alexandra Consteen (six hours, 57 minutes and 34 seconds).
The final stage which attracted 63 starters, began at a brisk pace with the top five of teammates Dominguez, Travieoso, Matthews, Martinez and Heat Wave’s Rodman separating themselves from the rest of the field.
This lead pack would work in tandem to open a sizeable lead on the chasing peloton. Rodman, however, who had entered the final stage in sixth position, tried arduously to take command of the stage but the four riders from CoCo’s would not let him as they worked as a unit to keep him in check while staving off the chasers.
Rodman did all he could to out work CoCo’s team but the four cyclists simply overwhelmed him and Dominguez made his move at Friendship village and took command of the race. He steadily increased his lead and pedaled in two minutes and five seconds ahead of the second place Travieoso (two 44 minutes and 44 minutes).
Dominguez broke last year’s third stage record which was held by Travieoso by almost four minutes (two hours, 46 minutes and 22 seconds).
The first stage began on Saturday at Corriverton and ended at New Amsterdam. The 60-mile second stage which also pedaled off later on Saturday, started at Rosignol and concluded at Carifesta Avenue.
At the prize giving ceremony brief remarks were made by Dr. Anthony and president of the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF), Cheryl Thompson.
Dr. Anthony bemoaned the fact that the local cyclists were not riding as teams and reiterated that in order to be successful in road races they must ride as a team. He stated that plans are already in place for the sixth annual five stage road race which is scheduled to be held in the first week of October.
The minister stressed that the locals have enough time to get their act together and to plan collectively to make sure the winning spoils are kept in Guyana. He also promised to work with the federation to do whatever it takes to implement competitive cycling teams for the five-stage.
Thompson thanked the managers, officials and the cyclists for making the event a successful one. She also emphasized that the federation will do whatever it takes to make the local cyclists more competitive in the upcoming five-stage event.
