On a cool, breezy day at the National Park yesterday, veteran riders Paul Choo-Wee-Nam and Stephen Fernandes blew away a star studded field in the feature 35-lap event of the Powerade 11-race cycle programme.
The 40-year old Choo-Wee-Nam, who won the event in one hour, 18 minutes and 12 seconds teamed up with 38-year-old Fernandes to out pedal the younger legs of their counterparts and took the lion’s share of the spoils.
Besides earning the first and second place trophies and cash prizes the veteran duo also carted off five of the eight sprint prizes with Fernandes pocketing three.
Another top veteran, Junior Niles placed third while John Charles, Alex Mendes and Warren ‘40’ McKay rode in fourth, fifth and sixth respectively
McKay also took a sprint prize while the other two went to Jude Bentley.
The event, which attracted 49 starters, pedaled off at a fair pace with several riders including Bentley, national riders Robin Persaud, Alonzo Greaves, McKay and others going on several mini breaks from the second lap with each being thwarted by the main bunch.
At lap 18 however, Choo-Wee-Nam and Fernandes changed gears and were never caught despite the valiant efforts of the rest of the field.
The duo rode as a team to stave off the chasers until they were about 200 metres from the finish. At this point a fierce sprint ensued but Choo-Wee-Nam blessed with superior sprinting ability left Fernandes in his wake.
Rawle Stephon won the BMX boys’ 12-to-14 years, three-lap race ahead of Raphael Leung and Bryton John respectively while Sherwin Sampson took top honours in the BMX boys’ nine-to-12 years, two-lap race ahead Thuran Gharbarran.
Niles also rode off with the veteran’s under-50, five–lap, first place trophy and the prime prize beating Shameer Baksh. His winning time was 12 minutes and 19 seconds.
Jamal John took top honours in the three-lap BMX boys Open race ahead of Chris Griffith and Earl Ramkumar.
Lindener, Hazina Barret outlasted Naomi Singh and Marica Dick to claim the female 10-lap event. Barret also won all four of the sprint prizes.
In the 12-to-14-years, boys’ and girls’ three-lap race, Alfie Sonoram took home the winner’s trophy and the prime prize. Jason Jordan and Ralph Leung were second and third respectively.
In the five-lap veteran’s over-50 race, Lancelot Rose was first followed by Dwayne Ramsey.
Maurice Fagundes took the top honours in the veteran’s over-60 years’ race ahead of arch rival Krishandat Singh. Fagundes and Singh were the only two riders in that category.
Hamzah Eastman won the juniors and juveniles’ 10-lap race in a time of 22 minutes and 40 seconds ahead of Shakeel Agard and Mario King.
The race for the Mountain Bikers was won by Stephano Husbands who also took home the sprint prize. Clyde Jacobs and Nigel Duguid placed second and third.
The two-lap BMX boy’s six-to-nine year’s race was won by Jeremiah Harrison with Alex Leung the only other finisher pedaling after.
At the prize giving ceremony, National Cycling Coach, Hassan Mohamed thanked the representatives of Banks DIH Limited for the sponsorship under the Powerade brand and the cyclists for participating in the meet and making the programme a success.
Banks DIH Limited Outdoor Events Manager Mortimer Stewart handed out the prime prizes as well as the trophies to the winners and the runners-up at the National Park circuit.
Stewart congratulated all the cyclists for their participation and pledged Banks DIH’s continued support for cycling and sport in general.
