– Burrowes hints at future route changes
Following a meeting with Director of Sports (DoS) Steve Ninvalle after more than 30 cyclists signed a petition in protest of a proposed change to the first leg of the Independence Three-Stage Road Race, Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) President Horace Burrowes confirmed that the original route will be utilised.
The proposed change by the GCF will be set aside, according to Burrowes, who spoke with Stabroek Sport after the meeting and conceded that the failure to inform the National Sports Commission (NSC) of the initial change by the executive committee was simply an oversight on its behalf.
The GCF executives, who had met with Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport Charles Ramson Jr. and the DoS Ninvalle prior to the NSC providing sponsorship to the tune of $3,000,000,.
Burrowes further hinted at changes to the original routes next year, which he noted will be made public well ahead of the next staging of the event. These changes in routes, he reasoned, will be made to challenge cyclists in a bid to push development and raise the standard of racing in the country.
The proposed change by GCF was for the first leg of the race slated for Berbice. While the usual route usually sees cyclists ride off from the Corriverton Police Station heading down to New Amsterdam for the finish, the GCF had proposed to send the cyclists off from New Amsterdam up to Everton before returning to Albion and then to New Amsterdam for the finish. However, the second and third stages of the race would remain the same.
After the first leg from Corriverton to New Amsterdam on Saturday morning, the second stage will see the cyclists push off at 2:00pm on the same day from the western side of the Berbice Bridge and head down to Carifesta Avenue for the finish.
On Sunday, the third and final stage will pedal off at 7:30am from Linden, with the cyclists heading down to Homestretch Avenue in Georgetown for the finish.
Meanwhile, in a statement, the GCF extended gratitude to the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport for their support of what will be the 41st edition of the Independence Three-Stage Race, the brainchild of Hassan Mohamed, who had also endorsed the petition.
The registration process is currently open to cyclists, and they are urged to make contact with Sean Chin Chan, the Racing Secretary of the GCF. The registration process will be closed tomorrow.
