By Emmerson Campbell
National cyclist Robin Persaud sped off with the feature 35-lap event of this year’s second annual Malta Supreme 11-race programme which was staged around the inner circuit of the National Park yesterday.
Persaud, arguably Guyana’s most consistent cyclist, also took home three of the eight prime prizes. One prime went to second place finisher junior rider, Paul DeNobrega while two went to junior star rider Raynauth Jeffrey who pedaled in third.
Top veteran Junior Niles placed fourth while Lindeners, Rastaff O’Selmo and 16 year-old Michael Anthony occupied the fifth and sixth positions respectively.
Road Race Champion Orville Hinds and Alonzo Greaves shared the remaining primes.
The official time of the event which attracted 33 riders was not known due to the miscounting of the laps.
Before the feature event, Niles rode off with the veteran’s under-50, five–lap, first place trophy and the prime prize beating Kennard Lovell and Shameer Baksh who were second and third respectively.
Michael Anthony took the juniors and juveniles’ 10-lap race in 23 minutes and five seconds. However, fourth place finisher Jeffrey took the two prime prizes. DeNobrega and 15-year old Raul Leal pedaled in second and third respectively.
Deeraj Gharbarran won the BMX boys’ 12-to-14 years, three-lap race ahead of Seon Thegg and Emmanuel Hopkinson respectively while Keon Harris took top honours in the BMX boys’ nine-to-12 years, two-lap race ahead of Rashedi Ceres and Jamal Arthur respectively.
Cleveland King took top honours in the three-lap BMX boys Open race ahead of Jason Jordan and Adrian Sharma.
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 Jordan and Sharma occupied the runners-up positions.
In the five-lap veteran’s over-50 race, Richard Duncan was first followed by Courtney Hackett. Duncan and Hackett were the only two starters.
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 46 seconds by Julio Melville who also took the prime prize. Garfield Lorimer and Nial Kingston placed second and third respectively.
The two-lap BMX boy’s six-to-nine year’s race was won by Isaiah Sahadeo while Gianni Carpenter and Jeremiah Harrison pedaled in second and third in that order.
The event was organised by National Cycling Coach Hassan Mohamed. At the prize giving ceremony, Mohamed thanked Clayton McKenzie who is Banks DIH’s Brand Manager for non–alcoholic malts for sponsorship of the event and the cyclists for participating in the meet and making the programme a success.
Mohamed also disclosed that another 11-race cycling programme which is sponsored by the National Sports Commission (NSC) will pedal off next Saturday at the same venue.
McKenzie handed out the prime prizes as well as the trophies to the winners and the runners-up of the events.
McKenzie, in brief remarks, also congratulated all the cyclists for their participation and pledged his company’s continued support for future cycling events and sport in general.
