Paul DeNobrega emphatically won his second race of the season yesterday lapping all but nine of the 33 starters in the feature 35-lap event of the 13th annual P&P Insurance Brokers and Consultants Limited 11-race cycle programme which was staged at the National Park.
DeNobrega, the Junior Sportsman-of-the-Year stormed to victory in one hour, 21 minutes and nine seconds and also carted off three of the eight sprint prizes along with the first place trophy.
The 19-year-old national cyclist led top veteran Godfrey Pollydore, Miami, Florida based Shane Boodram, 2011 senior road race champion Walter Grant -Stuart, his Team Coco’s club mate, Michael Anthony and the rapidly improving Hamzah Eastman in to the top six positions.
Boodram and Pollydore also pocketed two sprint prizes each while the other prize went to another Team Coco’s product, Christopher Holder.
The event started off a fast clip with DeNobrega, Boodram, Pollydore, Jude Bentley, Junior Niles, Akeem Wilkinson and Raymond Newton separating from the field as early as the second lap.
These seven leaders rode in tandem to increase their lead which ballooned to almost an entire lap with just 15 laps completed.
Soon after Bentley suffered a puncture and seven was down to six. However, the six in front maintained their lead until lap 28.
At this point, Pollydore, DeNobrega and Boodram went on a break of their own and journeyed together until 50 metres from the finish. With victory in sight a fierce sprinting battle ensued but DeNobrega was able to claim victory by half of a bike’s length.
In the day’s other events, Raul Small won the BMX boys’ 12-to-14 years, three-lap race ahead of Bryton John and Tarique Khan respectively while Thuran Gharbarran took top honours in the BMX boys’ nine-to-12 years, two-lap race ahead of Sherwin Sampson and Jamal Helligar.
Before the feature event, Niles rode off with the veteran’s under-50, five-lap, first place trophy and the prime prize beating Bochel Samaroo. Niles and Samaroo were the only two finishers.
Jamal John took top honours in the three-lap, BMX boys Open race ahead of Adrian Sharma and Jason Jordan
In the 12-to-14-years, boys’ and girls’ three-lap race, Romello Crawford took home the winner’s trophy while Alfie Sonoaram was second. Jordan again pedaled in third but did take the sprint prize.
In the five-lap veteran’s over-50 race, Virgil Jones was the first finisher followed again by Courtney Hackett.
Monty Parris won the veterans’ over-60 years’ race ahead of his arch rival Maurice Fagundes.
Jeban Crawford won the junior’s and juveniles’ 10-lap event ahead of Mario King and Eastman in 23 minutes and seven seconds. However Eastman and last year’s gold medalist at the Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships, Michael Anthony who pedaled in fourth pocketed the two sprint prizes.
The race for the upright cyclists was won by Stephano Husbands. Clyde Jacobs and Ozia McAlley placed second and third respectively.
The two-lap BMX boy’s six-to-nine year’s race was won by Jeremiah Harrison while Alexander Leung pedaled in after.
At the prize giving ceremony, National Cycling Coach, Hassan Mohamed thanked Accounts Executive of the P&P Insurance, Vikash Panday for the sponsorship of the event. Mohamed also thanked the cyclists for participating in the meet and making the programme a success.
The cyclists will now take their talents to the open roads of West Demerara this morning to compete in the 14th annual Guyoil Father’s Day 50-mile road race. This event will be sponsored under the Castrol brand.
