By Emmerson Campbell
Ian’ QB’ Davis, owner of the Miami-based cycling unit Team Coco plans to make junior star riders Paul DeNobrega, Raynauth Jeffrey,
Michael Anthony and Raul Leal, the best in the country.
“My aim is to make this junior team the future of Guyana’s cycling and I won’t stop unless the federation stops me,” Davis told Stabroek Sport in an exclusive interview.
The four riders were touted to form a junior national team to contest the just-concluded five-stage road race but were seen wearing white, black and red, the colours of Team Coco instead of the national colours. With that occurrence many cycling enthusiasts said that Davis was using the juniors to add depth to his team of foreign riders.
However, during the interview with this publication just before the commencement of the third stage on Friday at Wales, Davis cleared the air and stated that his main purpose was to help the young riders.
“These guys are talented and I have taken them under my wings to take them to the next level,” he said in the interview with Stabroek Sport.
“I am a Guyanese,” said Davis adding “and my heart is in the sport of cycling, I want to see these (the junior riders) guys do well.”
He added:“The reason I outfitted them to ride with these guys (other Coco members) was to raise their level of riding and to let them see what team racing is all about.”
With the exception of Leal, the entire junior team finished on the podium at last month’s Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships in the Dominican Republic.
DeNobrega (junior) and Anthony (juvenile) copped gold medals in their respective categories while Jeffrey earned a bronze medal (junior).
Leal was unfortunate in not finishing on the podium after he was relegated to fourth after finishing second.
Davis, who financed the four riders to compete at the Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships, reiterated that he will continue to sponsor and expose them to higher competition for them to become senior champions.
DeNobrega won the fifth and final stage and placed second overall while Jeffrey won the second stage in record time and finished fourth overall. Leal placed 14th overall while Anthony finished 15th overall.
