Team Coco’s rider, Stephano Husbands, started off the month of February strong in the National Park, winning the feature 35-lap event of the National Sports Commission (NSC) sponsored Mashramani 10-race programme.
The 18-year-old student of the Government Technical Institute was part a breakaway group of six which contained Paul DeNobrega (2nd place) and Orville Hinds (3rd place) that escaped in the third lap and managed to lap the 39-man field soon after.
Just six minutes after the first whistle, last year’s most successful wheelsman, Hinds, of Team Evolution, attacked and formed the winning break of Husbands, Mark Harris, DeNobrega, differently abled Walter Grant Stuart and Paul Choo-Wee-Nam.
In the fifth lap, Husbands’ teammate, Jamal John broke away from the peloton in an effort to bridge the gap but the leaders with Hinds motoring up front would never relinquish their advantage.
The six-strong unit worked in tandem, building their lead with every powerful stroke of their pedals.
In the warm conditions ideal for racing, race commissaire, Joseph Britton forced the peloton which included notables, Alanzo Greaves, Marlon Williams and Michael Anthony to call it a day to ensure the leaders had no hindrance on the circuit.
Between lap 28 and 33, there were several solo attacks staged by the one-handed Grant Stuart and Husbands but both riders were eventually wheeled in by their breakaway mates.
With the finish line just 300m away, teamwork was again thrown out the window as each cyclist longed for the victory.
Harris rolled up the sprint causing a chain reaction. Husbands, Hinds and DeNobrega rose from their saddles and a fierce sprint to the line ensued.
However, Hinds and DeNobrega of Team Alanis got boxed in at the turn and Husbands seized the opportunity to power past the duo for the win.
Husbands threw his arms in the air as he crossed the line, a roar of triumph breaking out from his smiling face.
DeNobrega, who rode a tactically sound race, managed to outsprint the remaining peloton to seal second place, followed by Hinds, Harris, Grant Stuart and teammate Choo-We-Nam.
Before the feature event, there were nine other races. Here is a summary:
12-14 Boys and Girls
Daniel Perriera, Davenand Kapilnauth
Marica Dick
Veterans Under 50
Jaikarran Sukhai, Junior Niles, Colin Williams
Veterans Over 50
Linden Blackman
Veterans Over 60
Wilfred Thom
Juveniles 10 laps
Romello Crawford, Jamal John, Chris Griffith
Mountain Bike
Seon Budhan, Clyde Jacobs, Joshua Cummings
BMX Boys 6-9
Alex Leung, Chris Goring, Esau Jaisingh
BMX Boys 9-12
Sherwin Sampson, Jonathan Jagdeo, Jeremiah Harrison
BMX Boys 12-14
Sherwin Sampson, Adelia Hodge, Jonathan Jagdeo
The 2015 cycling season continues this morning with a 40-mile race at West Demerara, sponsored by R&R International.
