Briton John in supreme touch at 2019 National Cycling C/ships’ Time Trials

By Brandon Corlette

The Guyana Cycling Federation’s 2019 National Championships commenced on Saturday June 22nd with time trials for all categories of participants. The action took place along the Soesdyke/ Linden Highway, with events starting from just outside the Police Outpost at Yarrowkabra, and some of the top riders in Guyana featured in this event.

In the senior elite male category, Briton John clocked 29 minutes, 09 seconds to cover a distance of 12.42 miles. In second position was Linden’s very own Michael Anthony, who clocked 29 minutes 25 seconds, 16 seconds longer than Briton John. Team Coco’s Jamaul John clocked 29 minutes 43 seconds, while the Berbician Curtis ‘Chappy’ Dey was in fourth position, having covered the distance in 30 minutes and one second. His fellow Berbician, Andrew Hicks, finished one second after that, clocking a time of 30 minutes two seconds to complete the top five riders in the Seniors category.

In the Veterans/Masters category, Paul Choo-Wee-Nam was the leading rider in his class, finishing the distance in 33 minutes nine seconds. Lear Nunes came in second, clocking 33 minutes 20 seconds. He was followed by Keith Fernandes, who clocked 34 minutes and 10 seconds. Nigel London rode in fourth at 35 minutes 27 seconds, while Desmond Patterson came in fifth in 36 minutes to complete the top five Masters.
Lone Junior cyclist Ajay Gopilall clocked in at 31 minutes two seconds, while Team Evolution’s Denise Jeffry finished her race in 18 minutes 40 seconds.
The Berbician Jonathan Ramsuchit finished in 16 minutes 59 seconds, and Sherwin Sampson clocked 19 minutes and 47 seconds to account for all the Juveniles on show.
Earlier, the Police escort had carelessly turned back riders Jaikarran Sookhai, Kwame Ridley and Steve Fernandes at an incorrect point, and as a consequence, their times were not taken into the results.
The marathon cycle race, the main event, will today pedal off at 7:30h sharp from Homestretch Avenue in Georgetown to return to the same location for the finish. It will involve all cyclists who had participated in the time trials.
That race will have four components: The Females road race, the Juveniles’ road race, the Masters’ road race and the Elite Males road race.
Females will ride a total of 52 miles: from Homestretch to Timehri, EBD and back to the point of origin on Homestretch Avenue. Juveniles will ride 53 miles along the same route as the ladies, while Masters/Veterans will ride a total of 80 miles, commencing at Homestretch Avenue in Georgetown before travelling to Long Creek on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway and then back to the point of commencement.
The main event will be a 120-mile race wherein the Elite Males will duel it out from Homestretch Avenue in Georgetown to Moblissa Hill on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway before returning to the starting point.