National Coach Hassan Mohamed has dubbed the 31st annual three-stage road race which concluded on Sunday a success while president of the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) Cheryl Thompson said it was bittersweet.
Thompson maintained that the event was highly entertaining, successful and competitive but the fact that the two-day, 171-mile event was for the third year in succession won by a foreign rider left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“I am still disappointed in the Guyanese riders,” Thompson bemoaned.
”I know they have the talent, the stamina and the speed to win this event but they are not riding enough as teams and in order to win stage races you have to ride as a team,” she stated.
Nineteen-year old Barbadian, Jamol Eastmond rode off with this year’s top honours by virtue of back-to-back victories in the first two stages and finishing with the bunch 10 seconds behind third stage winner Robin Persaud despite two punctures.
In 2011, the race was won by Yosmani Pol of the Miami, Florida-based club Team Coco’s while his club mate Ivan Dominguez carted off the top honours last year.
When asked if the federation should shoulder some of the blame for the local cyclists not riding as a team, Thompson replied:”The federation is made up of clubs and if the clubs do not see it fit to have a national team to represent us in the local road races then we cannot blame the federation.”
She continued:“At the end of the year we have to select a national team to represent us at the Caribbean Championships and I think we should start with the three-stage, build on that with the five-stage and go on from there.”
The cycling federation’s president however heaped praises on Geron Williams who placed second and Alonzo Greaves (fourth overall) and stated that she hopes to see a national team spearheaded by the duo in the not too distant future.
Williams, who lost by only seven seconds to Eastmond, last year’s road race champion, Orviille Hinds (6hrs :58 minutes :25 seconds), in-form national rider Greaves (6:58:26) Team Coco’s Raynauth Jeffrey (6:58:33) and Raul Leal (6:58:33) made up the top six.
Meanwhile, Mohamed said that the overall times of the top finishers proved that the event was highly competitive and successful throughout the two days of racing.
“I could tell you that it was one of the better three-stage races since it started in 1983. We had a few problems in the sense that there was some punctures in the first stage but other than that I was complimented by Minister of Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony and other stake holders.
“US based Aubrey Gordon and Johnny Creavalle who rode this race many times also shook my hand because they were happy to see how the race has grown and the highly competitive nature of the event.”
When quizzed on what steps can be taken for a local cyclist to win the stage races which have been dominated by foreigners as of recent, Mohamed said:“ We have to get cyclists who are patriotic. You are not representing yourself, you are representing the country where you born and grow so it is very important to get a unit like that to train together.
You have to think about your country. As a sportsman, there is nothing better than representing and winning for your country.”
The national cycling coach also thanked the Ministry of Sport and the National Sports Commission for sponsoring the road race and the Demerara Distillers Limited who kept the cyclists hydrated under the Diamond Mineral Water brand.
