After covering 106 miles and dominating the first two stages yesterday, the Miami-based Team Coco seems destined to once again ride away with the spoils of a local cycling event.
Colombian Jaime Ramirez of Team Coco starts today’s third leg of the sixth annual ‘Ride for Life’ five-stage cycle race in the lead position, after he sprinted to victory in the first stage and crossed the line in third place in the second stage.
The 46-mile first stage began at Corriverton with 67 riders including cyclists from St Lucia, USA, England, Suriname and Aruba and ended at New Amsterdam. The 60-mile second stage started at Rosignol and concluded at Carifesta Avenue.
In the first stage, Ramirez stopped the clock at one hour, 39 minutes and 17 seconds and led team mates Darren Matthews, Antonio Alarcon, Ivan Dominguez, local junior star rider Raynauth Jeffrey, and Linden’s Rastaff O’Selmo into the top six. All but O’Selmo wore Team Coco’s colours.
The reluctance of national cyclists to compete as a team continues to allow foreign riders to prevail on local roadways. Jeffrey, who clinched a bronze medal at this year’s Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships was touted to be part of a junior national team. However, the 18-year-old and other junior riders—Michael Anthony, Raul Leal and Paul DeNobrega—were seen wearing the attire of the Miami-based team instead of the national colours.
In the second stage, which commenced at 14:00 hrs, Jeffrey rode his heart out and smashed last year’s stage record which was set by American Jonathan Teeter by more than seven minutes. Jeffrey who earned a bronze medal at the Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships last month in the Dominican Republic won the second stage in two hours, 11 minutes and 31 seconds to erase Teeter’s record of two hours, 18 minutes and 45 seconds.
The reigning junior road race champion will be presented with a yellow jersey before the third stage pedals off today.
The top six finishers of the second stage were Jeffrey, his three teammates Matthews, Ramirez and DeNobrega along with Moses Ricketts and Gino Hodge in that order.
Only Ricketts of Suriname and Hodge of Aruba were not wearing Team Coco’s colours.
When today’s third stage pedals off at 09:00 hrs the top five of Ramirez, Matthews, Jeffrey, Alarcon and Dominguez will all be wearing Team Coco’s colours.
Blistering pace
The first stage had started off at a blistering pace with local rider Kester Croal taking it to the rest of the starters. Croal was pursued and eventually caught at Number 63 village by the huge chase peloton that swarmed him like bees.
At this point, Ramirez, Matthews, Alarcon and Dominguez pounced on the rest of the riders and had a race of their own. The four leaders became two as on 19th Road, Ramirez and Matthews found another gear and enjoyed sharing the lead until 20 metres from the finish line. At this point, Matthews stopped pedalling and allowed his Team Coco teammate to cross the line unchallenged.
The second stage also started at a scorching pace but this time it was Andre Abdool who took it to the field. He was also soon caught and passed by the rest of the starters led by Matthews and some of his Team Coco teammates along with national cyclists O’Selmo, Geron Williams, Robin Persaud, Enzo Matthews, Ricketts and Hodge.
At Moor Park, O’Selmo and Team Coco’s Matthews, DeNobrega and Hodge separated from the rest of the lead peloton and staged a brief breakaway.
Jeffrey, Ramirez and Ricketts chased valiantly and reconnected with the four leaders at Belladrum and the seven worked together, steadily increasing their lead until they arrived at the village of Strathspey.
At this point, Jeffrey, Matthews and Ramirez staged a breakaway and never looked back. The three Team Coco teammates journeyed together until they separated a few metres before the finish to allow Jeffrey to take the top honours.
Stage three, which covers 35 miles will start at Wales and end at Parika. Tomorrow, the penultimate stage, over 62 miles, will commence at 07:30 hrs at Supenaam and conclude at Suddie.
On Sunday, the final stage will begin at 08:30 hrs with the cyclists riding from Linden and finishing in Georgetown in another 62-mile race.
All top 10 finishers will receive cash prizes and trophies.
The top three finishers will receive US$1,000 and a trophy, US$750 and a trophy and US$500 and a trophy respectively.
Team Coco’s Antonio Quintero won the event in 2010.
