By Emmerson Campbell
National cyclist Marlon’ Fishy’ Williams yesterday sped away with the feature 35-lap event of the De Sinco Trading sponsored 11-race cycling programme around the inner circuit of the National Park in record time.
The 12th annual event, which was co-ordinated by Hassan Mohammed, saw
Williams winning in one hour, 14 minutes and 59 seconds after he took advantage of Enzo Matthews’ misjudgment to nip him at the line.
Matthews, who was the clear leader at about 25 metres from the finish line, raised his hands in celebration not knowing that Williams, a strong sprinter was in hot pursuit. As Matthews was decelerating while celebrating, Williams was sprinting to the line and raced past an unaware Matthews who had to settle for a disappointing second.
Neil Reece pedaled in third while Rastaff Oselmo, who won a prime prize finished in fourth place. Six prime prizes went to fifth place finisher Walter Grant Stuart, while the sixth prime prize going to Junior Niles who placed sixth.
The event, which attracted 47 starters, pedaled off at a high pace with national cyclists Robin Persaud and Alonzo Greaves separating themselves from the rest of the field from the second lap.
Persaud and Greaves would enjoy the lead for about three laps until they were caught and passed by the top six finishers.
The lead pack of Williams, Matthews, Reece, Grant Stuart, Oselmo and Niles worked together to steadily increase their lead on the chasing peloton.
The six leaders continued to journey together until the final five laps. At this point Niles was dropped and six became five. The five would journey together until the bell lap where team work was thrown out the window and it was a race for top honours.
With 300 metres to go and victory in sight, all five riders were off their saddles sprinting to the finish line. The leaders were still together with 100 metres to go but Matthews seemed to catch another gear and started to open up a lead and was a clear winner with 40 metres to go until he started to celebrate which proved costly.
Deeraj Gharbarran won the BMX boys’ 12-to-14 years, three-lap race ahead of Sceion Thegg and Keon Harris respectively while Jamal Arthur took top honours in the BMX boys’ nine-to-12 years, two-lap race ahead of Rashedi Ceres and Keon Harrison respectively.
Before the feature event, Niles rode off with the veteran’s under-50, five–lap, first place trophy beating Kennard Lovell and Raymond Newton who were second and third respectively. Newton, however, took the prime prize.
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 while Hazina Barrett finished second and took the sprint prize. Marica Dick finished third in the event.
In the five-lap veteran’s over-50 race, Lancelot Rose was first followed by Wilfred Thom and Courtney Hackett.
Maurice Fagundes got the better of arch rivals Harry Lall and Krishandat Singh respectively to take the top honours in the veteran’s over-60 years’ race.
Akeem Wilkinson won the juniors and juveniles’ 10-lap race ahead of Kurt LaRose and Mario King. Montell Anthony who finished fourth took the two primes that were up for grabs.
The race for the upright cyclists was won by Richard Charles. Keon Thomas and Hamzah Eastman placed second and third respectively. Julio Melville was the recipient of the sprint prize.
The two-lap BMX boy’s six-to-nine year’s race was won by Isaiah Sahadeo ahead of his brother Ken Sahadeo and Jeremiah Harrison who pedaled in second and third respectively.
At the prize giving ceremony, Mohamed thanked the representatives of DeSinco Trading for the sponsorship of the event and the cyclists for participating in the meet and making the programme a success.
Mohamed also intimated that he will pedal off two more 11-race youth programmes at the same venue in the coming weeks. Next Saturday’s event will be sponsored by RRT Enterprise while the programme on September 29 will be sponsored by Laparkan Group of Companies.
Representatives of the company handed out the prime prizes as well as the trophies and Degree deodorants to the winners and the runners-up of the events.
