“And the winner is Alonzo Greaves,” seems to be the recurring theme at the completion of local cycling events this season.
In windy conditions yesterday at the seawall Bandstand, the dominance of the national cyclist continued when he blew away a star-studded field to win his eighth feature event of the season.
This year’s most successful cyclist’s victory was so convincing that he lapped all but five of the finishers in the 50-lap Roraima Bikers Club (RBC)/Guyana Beverage Company Incorporated-sponsored event which attracted 45 starters.
The 24-year-old RBC product also pocketed six of the15 sprint prizes that were up for grabs.
The in-form Greaves led last year’s road race champion, Orvile Hinds and national cyclists, Jude Bentley, Robin Persaud, Paul Choo-Wee-Nam and Horace Burrowes (who pulled up 150 metres before the finish line) into the top six places.
Bentley copped three sprint prizes while two went to Choo-Wee-Nam.
Hinds, Persaud, Burrowes and Warren ‘40’ McKay also won a sprint prize each.
The event started off at fever pitch pace with the starters all fighting for supremacy. There were several mini breaks with different groups of riders who were soon caught until Greaves, Bentley, Persaud, Choo-Wee- Nam and Burrowes went on a break at lap 16.
The five riders rode as a team and opened up a huge lead on the chase peloton until they were caught by a valiant Hinds on lap 38.
The five became six and this group also worked in tandem until lap 46.
With four laps remaining, team work was thrown out the window when Hinds pounced. Greaves responded and the duo separated themselves from the others who failed to follow.
With three laps to go, the race was on for third since Greaves and Hinds, who rode with renewed vigour, had opened up an unassailable lead on Bentley, Choo-Wee-Nam, Persaud and Burrowes.
Some 300 metres from the finish, Hinds and Greaves were still together but soon after the Lindener pounced again but as expected Greaves rose from his saddle and used his superior sprinting ability to blow by Hinds to claim his eighth signature win of the season.
The top three veteran finishers were Junior Niles, Raymond Newton and Ian Jackson while Hamzah Eastman, Andre Abdool and Jeban Crawford were the top three juniors.
The beverage company sponsored the event under its Viva Water brand.
Marketing Manager of the company, Shamieza Yadram, distributed the prizes to the top finishers.
According to president of the RBC, Brian Allen, the event was a huge success. Allen also told this publication another RBC organized meet is scheduled for June. That event will be sponsored by Ansa McAL.
