Michael Anthony produced a gem in the early cycling season yesterday, racing to victory in the feature 35-lap event of the 14th Diamond Mineral Water multi race programme.
Staged at the National Park in perfect conditions for racing, Anthony snapped the two-race win streak of Romello Crawford, bettering breakaway mate, Brighton John in a thrilling two-man finish to take the top honors of the race.
Anthony who also copped two sprint prizes on the circuit, won the event after stopping the clock in one hour, 21 minutes and 14 seconds of intense racing.
Crawford, the marked man throughout the event by the 25-man peloton, out sprinted the remnants of the second pack to amazingly finish in third.
Junior Niles finished fourth, while Chris Griffith and Andre Green filled out the top six rewarding positions.
With the peloton locked in on Crawford who is enjoying sublime early season form, Anthony and John staged a successful getaway with 10 laps to go.
The pair rode unchallenged and wheel to wheel until the final 150m. John attacked first but Anthony had the fresher legs and also used his superior speed to blow by the United We Stand biker en route to his first victory of his 2019 campaign.
Other winners yesterday included: Lennox Jackman (BMX 6-9 years), Sherwin Sampson (BMX 12-14 and Juveniles), Niles (veteran U-50) and Ian Jackson (veteran O-50).
Anthony will look to continue his winning ways today when cycling action switches to the open roads of Berbice. This morning, the cyclists will race from New Amsterdam, proceed to the NO. 55 Village and finish at Port Mourant in the annual Cheddi Jagan Memorial road race. Berbician, Crawford will be gunning for a top podium spot.
