The roadways of Berbice came alive yesterday morning under blistering sunshine as the country’s best cyclists gathered for the second leg of the Jagan’s Memorial Cycling Road Race in New Amsterdam, Berbice. However, when the dust settled after 71 gruelling miles, it was Briton John who ruled the roost yet again.
Extending his streak to four in four so far since the turn of the year, John soloed to victory unchallenged in 3 hours, 15 minutes, and 10 seconds, well ahead of his nearest challenger, Curtis Dey, who came over three minutes behind the race winner.
Dey was followed by Paul Cho Wee Nam, Alexander Leung, Alex Mendes, and Aaron Newton, who were all spaced out to occupy the third through sixth positions in that order.
The race, which was well attended by cycling enthusiasts from the ancient county, saw 23 cyclists take off from Freedom House in New Amsterdam, and by the first few miles, a few of them had already been dropped as John, followed closely by Team Evolution’s Christopher ‘Chicken Legs’ Griffith, got into their work early along with the peloton as they headed up to East Berbice to the turn-back point at #63 Village.
On the return leg, the action started; first, John’s only real challenger in this season thus far, Griffith, suffered a punctured tyre at #48 Village and was forced to stop to change the damaged tyre, allowing John to gain a race-changing advantage. At #45 Village, John began his trademark relentless attack, powering away from the peloton, never to be caught again. His tremendous stamina was on show as he soloed across the finish line at Babu John in triumphant fashion to take the winner’s trophy and winning purse of $45,000.
Speaking to Stabroek Sports after the race, John exuded confidence, stating, “It was a good ride, just as I expected, even though the sun was very hot.” Quizzed about whether he faced any other challenges other than the sun, the United We Stand wheelsman responded in the negative.
“My conditioning and fitness levels are better than before. I have been training hard over the past month or so because I have my eye on a race in Jamaica where I want to perform well,” John revealed.
In the Veterans 40+ category, Cho Wee Nam snapped up first place, followed by Mendes, Roy Mangru, and Segun Hubbard in that order.
Meanwhile, Leung was once again the winner of the junior category, with Sidwell Sandy settling for second.
Ian Jackson rolled back the years to conquer the Veterans 50+ category, with Junior Niles and Raymond Newton coming in second and third place, respectively.
The Primes (sprint prizes) saw John take two, as did Robin Persaud and Cho Wee Nam, while Dey, Mendes, Newton, and Washington secured one each.
The third and final leg of the Jagan’s Memorial Cycling Road Race is slated for March 31 in Essequibo, and John is predicting another win for himself.
That race will see the cyclists having to navigate the Essequibo Coast’s curving roads and strong breezes.
The Jagan’s Memorial Cycling Events are held annually in honour of the late former Presidents of Guyana, Dr. Cheddi Jagan and his wife Janet Jagan.
