‘One Guyana’ 3-Stage Cycling
– Leung wins junior title
By Michelangelo Jacobus
Long known as a ‘big race’ cyclist, Jamual John turned in one of his best performances in recent times across three gruelling races to capture the overall title, while Alexander Leung also cemented his dominance in the junior category.
After winning the first stage on Saturday in Berbice, Jamual returned in stage two early yesterday morning in the 80Km road race on the roadways of West Demerara and effectively put himself in pole position to capture the title by placing second.
After pedalling off from the roundabout at the newly paved Schoonord Highway, the cyclists pushed at a blistering speed, with Kwame Ridley, Segun Hubbard, and Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams quickly breaking away from the main peloton. Another breakaway group began to chase in earnest, with only Briton John and Jamual John managing to keep up with the leading trio as they got to the return point at Parika.
In the closing stages of the race, the front group fragmented, with Ridley emerging victorious in the Masters category, followed closely by Williams, who clinched the win in the Elite category.
However, the action in the battle for second place was enthralling, as Jamual, who had conserved enough energy for a power ride to the end, managed to stave off Briton John and Hubbard in an exciting finish.
Meanwhile, in the Category 4 race, Ralph Williams rebounded from a lacklustre opening stage to secure a strong victory. The juniors, on the other hand, saw no change in standings, with Leung continuing his dominance with yet another win.
With stage two done and dusted, the action turned to stage three later in the afternoon, a criterium race around the newly minted Main Street circuit. Spectators and well-wishers turned out in their numbers to witness a high octane end to the event and were not disappointed as the cyclists turned in performances worthy of adulation.
The Category 4/5 racers launched into action, navigating the narrow Main Street circuit with intensity.
From the get-go, the top four competitors engaged in a thrilling game of cat and mouse as Nigel London and Tyron Conway surged ahead, securing first and second place, respectively, in this stage. Despite missing out on a podium finish in the third stage, Dave Bissoon’s earlier performances were enough as he emerged as the overall leader in the Cat 4/5 category, earning the prestigious One Guyana winners jersey.
Over in the Elite category, the stakes were high and resulted in high octane racing as the indefatigable Briton put on a display of supreme fitness to quickly move to the front. However, he was shadowed by Jamual, who only required a top-four finish to clinch the overall title.
As they left the rest of the peloton in their wake, both faced technical issues that forced them into the pits for repairs. First Jamual suffered a puncture as Briton distanced himself; nevertheless, Jamual managed to regain his momentum to return within striking distance of Briton. The latter had his own moment of misfortune as he too suffered a puncture, which resulted in him crashing onto the asphalt of Main Street.
Despite this crash, Briton showed heart to return to the saddle and had done enough to fend off the attentions of Jamual John to win the third stage. Jamual, however, finished second to secure the overall winning jersey. Jamual ended on 51 points, Briton finishing on 40 points for second place. Aaron Newton rounded out the top three on 34 points.
In the junior category, Leung claimed victory once again. The overall standings saw Leung leading, followed by Alex Newton and Sidwell Sandy in that order.
Additionally, lone female competitor Abigail Jeffery completed all three stages alongside lone juvenile racer Dinesh Sookhai. The official ceremony for prize giving is slated for Saturday at a venue to be announced where the winners will receive their monetary rewards.
Overall Results
Elites
1. Jamual John – 51 points
2. Briton John – 40 points
3. Aaron Newton – 34 points
4. Marlon Williams – 25 points
5. Curtis Dey – 21 points
Juniors
1. Alexander Leung – 63 points
2. Alex Newton – 41 points
3. Sidwell Sandy – 37 points
Masters
1. Robin Persaud – 51 points
2. Johann Burrowes – 47 points
3. Kwame Ridley – 40 points
Category 4/5
1. Dave Bissoon – 34 points
2. Ralph Williams – 33 points
3. Kevin Seaton – 30 points
