Team Coco’s cyclists defied the odds to finish first and second in yesterday’s 60-mile Caribbean Wellness Day road race on the East Coast.
The club’s new recruit Hamza Eastman pedaled in first in the Ministry of Health-sponsored event while the team’s most successful rider Raynauth Jeffrey placed second in the race which rolled off at the Square of the Revolution proceeded to Mahaicony and ended in front of the Ocean View Hotel.
Godfrey Pollydore was distant third in a bunch sprint while Eastman and Jeffrey’s club mate, Chris Holder, Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams and Robin Persaud filled out the top six paid positions.
Eastman won the grueling, sunbaked event in two hours, 11 minutes and 37 and also carted off one of the eight sprint prizes. The seven others went to Jeffrey.
Underlining Team Coco’s dominance of the event were Stephano Husbands and Junior Niles.
Niles took the top honors of the veteran category while Husbands carted off the spoils of the junior division.
Quick Results
Seniors
Hamza Eastman (Team Coco’s)
Raynauth Jeffrey
Godfrey Pollydore
Chris Holder
Marlon Williams
Robin Persaud
Juniors
Stephano Husbands (Team Coco’s)
Andre Green
Romello Crawford
Veterans
Junior Niles (Team Coco’s)
Jaikarran Sukhai
Mark Sonoram
Mountain Bikers
Adrian Sharma
Charles Ketwaroo
Michael Holder
Veteran over 60
Monty Parris
Female
Toshwanna Doris
The road race started off at a fast clip with the 33 starters jostling for the lead.
Soon after, Team Coco’s riders went to the front of the peloton and assumed position as the early pace setters.
Eastman and Jeffrey then changed gears and proceeded on a two-man break at Conversation Tree.
That would prove the undoing of the remainder of the field as the two strong cyclists rode in tandem to hold off the peloton throughout the windy trek.
Eastman however threw team work out the window when he surprisingly rose from his saddle and surged ahead of the workhorse Jeffrey who probably thought his club mate would reward him with the win after doing most of the pacing.
At the post race presentation, brief remarks were made by organizer of the event, Hassan Mohamed and Minister within the Ministry of Finance, Bishop Juan Edghill.
The event was ridden under the theme ‘Warriors on the Move’. (Emmerson Campbell)
