By Emmerson Campbell
Top veteran cyclist Junior Niles sprinted away with the winner’s trophy in the feature 35-lap event of this year’s second annual Unitech Awning 11-race programme which was staged around the inner circuit of the National Park yesterday.
Niles, 37, stopped the clock at one hour, 20 minutes and 24 seconds and also took home two of the eight prime prizes. Three primes went to second place finisher Rastaff O’Selmo while one each went to third, fourth and sixth placed finishers, 15-year old Raul Leal, Road Race Champion Orville Hinds and national cyclist Robin Persaud.
Alonzo Greaves pedaled in fifth after outsprinting Persaud in a fierce sprint to the line.
The feature event attracted 36 starters.
It was a good day for Niles because before the feature event, he also rode off with the veterans under-50, five–lap, first place trophy and the prime prize beating Kennard Lovell and Shameer Baksh who were second and third respectively.
Alonzo Ambrose took the juniors and juveniles’ 10-lap race in 22 minutes and 48 seconds. However, second and third place finishers Shaquille Agard and Andre Abdool copped the two sprint prizes that were up for grabs.
Deeraj Gharbarran won the BMX boys’ 12-to-14 years, three-lap race ahead of Raphael Leung and Seon Thegg respectively while Jamal Arthur took top honours in the BMX boys’ nine-to-12 years, two-lap race ahead of Keon Harris and Rashedi Ceres respectively.
Cleveland King took top honours in the three-lap BMX boys Open race ahead of Adrian Sharma. King and Sharma were the only two starters for the event.
In the 12-to-14-years, boys and girls’ three-lap race, Alfie Sonaram took home the winner’s trophy and the prime prize, while Hazina Barrett and Naomi Singh occupied the runners-up positions.
In the five-lap veteran’s over-50 race, Virgil Jones was first followed by Lance Rose and Wilfred Thom.
Maurice Fagundes won the veteran’s over-60 year’s race ahead of Harry Lall and Krishna Singh, the only three starters.
The race for the upright cyclists was won in 12 minutes and 12 seconds by Mario King who also took the prime prize. Keon Thomas and Garfield Lorimer placed second and third respectively.
The two-lap BMX boy’s six-to-nine year’s race was won by Isaiah Sahadeo while Nicholas D’Andrade and Brandon Evans pedaled in second and third in that order.
The event was organised by National Cycling Coach Hassan Mohamed in memory of Noel Persaud aka Pokan, a former Continental Cycle Club rider.
At the prize giving ceremony, Mohamed thanked Noel Persaud’s son Ray Persaud, who is the Managing Director of Unitech Awning for sponsorship of the event and the cyclists for participating in the meet and making the programme a success.
Mohamed also disclosed that two other 11-race cycling programmes are planned for the next two Saturdays at the same venue.
Persaud handed out the prime prizes as well as the trophies to the winners and the runners-up of the events.
Persaud, in brief remarks, also congratulated all the cyclists for their participation and pledged his company’s continued support for future cycling events.
