Barbadian teenager, Jamal Eastman of Team Heat Wave starts today’s final leg of the 31st annual Independence three-stage road race in the lead position after powering to back-to-back victories in the first two stages yesterday.
Eastman, who is a member of the Trinidad and Tobago-based club, followed up his first stage win by sprinting away from national cyclist, Geron Williams to claim the top honours and the overall lead in the second stage.
The 19-year old Eastman’s second stage winning time was two hours, 34 minutes and 31 seconds.
Williams, who won the five-stage event in 2009, and fellow national riders Robin Persaud and Orville Hinds placed second, third and fourth respectively.
Hinds and Williams will also be in contention for the podium today as they also respectively finished fourth and third in the first stage.
The 46-mile first stage pedaled off at Corriverton with 73 starters and ended at New Amsterdam. The 60-mile second stage commenced at Rosignol at 14:00 hrs and concluded at Carifesta Avenue.
Eastman, who won the first stage in one hour, 43 minutes and eight seconds by edging national star cyclist Alonzo Greaves, rode a tactical second stage and used his superior sprinting ability to edge Williams who is 10 seconds behind him overall heading into today’s final stage.
The initial stage which was marred with several punctures started at 07:30hrs with numerous riders teaming up on several mini unsuccessful breaks until Eastman, Greaves, Hinds, Williams, Horace Burrowes and Team Coco’s Raul Leal (fourth place finish in the first leg)and Raynauth Jeffrey (sixth place in both legs) broke away from the peloton for good at Friendship.
The seven riders worked in tandem to steadily increase their lead until throwing team work out the window about 200m from the finish.
As expected the riders changed gears, rose from their saddles and started to sprint. Gritting his teeth Eastman narrowly staved off Greaves who eased up and seemed content to settle for second.
Shortly after, the huge chase pack with more than 60 riders crossed the finish line in a bunch time of one hour, 44 minutes and 11 seconds.
Stage 2
Stage two, which was also very competitive, was a carbon copy of the first stage as several riders teamed up in vain to stage break aways.
Persaud, Paul Choo-Wee-Nam, US-based Aubrey Gordon and Antiguan, Andrew Simon looked prime to finish in the top four spots after they broke away from Mahaica and opened a sizable lead but the relentless chasers led by Williams, Hinds, Eastman, Greaves, Jeffrey and others caught all but Persaud at Plaisance.
Persaud turned it up at Plaisance and staged a futile one-man breakaway as the avalanche like chase pack engulfed him about a mile from the finish.
The riders were soon within sight of the finish and a mad dash for the line ensued. Eastman and the locals Persaud, Hinds and Williams were all in contention for victory but the Bajan again was able to pull out the win.
The final stage starts today at Kara Kara, Linden at 08:00hrs with the cyclists riding from Linden and finishing in Georgetown, a distance of 64 miles.
Eastman placed third overall in the annual five-stage event.All the top 10 finishers will receive cash prizes and trophies.
