The 13th edition of the Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships, which are being hosted in Guyana for the first time ever, is set to get cracking today in the Green Town of Bartica.
Some of the cyclists and officials as they were about to ride the race route on Friday
Fifteen nations, including host nation Guyana, are set to compete for glory at the Time Trials of these Juvenile and Junior level cycling championships.
The Bahamas are expected to have arrived last evening and to travel to Bartica this morning; but Bermuda, Anguilla, Grenada, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Curacao, St. Martin, Barbados, Dominica, Antigua & Barbuda, Cayman Islands and the United States Virgin Islands have already all arrived in Bartica yesterday, some by the ferry, and others by river taxi (speed boat).
Mayor of Bartica, His Worship Gifford Marshall, met with the nations at the Bartica Town Hall and welcomed them to Guyana, and to Bartica in particular. He expressed delight at being selected by the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF) to host the championships, and at that decision being subsequently approved by the Caribbean Cycling Federation (CCF).
“The people of Guyana and Bartica would like to extend a warm welcome to all of you here for this historic event. I know that you have travelled some long hours to get to Guyana, and then here to the Green Town of Bartica, but I can assure you that it would be worth your while, as you will enjoy a different experience, one that you have never before experienced,” he said.
In total, there would be about 50 cyclists competing in both categories, but there would be no females competing, since the CCF Regulations state that there must be at least five cyclists to constitute a race.
None of the nations who have come here has a female member as part of their team, which underscores the challenges being faced to attract women to the sport, let alone at a tender age. The Guyanese duo of Clevecia Spencer and Selena Stephen would naturally be disappointed that they would not be able to race.
The route for today’s (Saturday) Time Trials is as follows: Start at the corner of Second Avenue and Third Street then proceed east on Third Street, left on Sixth Avenue, proceed to Three Miles Secondary before turning back, then proceeding to turn right on the Mongrippa Hill Road by the Arcade, left on Fourth Avenue, right on Sixth Street, left on Second Avenue to finish at the starting point at Second Avenue and Third Street.
The Juvenile cyclists will do the course once (8.4km = 5.22 miles) while the Juniors will cover the course twice.
GCF President Horace Burrowes has said he is happy that the local body has been able to pull off this historic event despite the many hurdles faced.
Burrowes singled out Mayor Gifford Marshall and his team for stepping up to the plate in a huge way to ensure that the event comes off and that teams have a warm experience.
Following today’s Time Trials, the Road Race will be contested tomorrow along the same route. The event is being managed and controlled by the CCF and COPACI, the Pan American Federation. The Commissars are Henny Bonafacio and Ms. Neves Viceate.
