– Team Guyana confident of making podium spot
Guyana’s national cycling champion, Aaron Newton of the KFC Evolution Cycling Club, placed second in the Under-23 Category on Saturday at the Caribbean Elite Cycling Championships, currently underway in Belize.
Newton is Guyana’s only Under-23 representative participating in the 100-mile road race today. Meanwhile, Paul DeNobrega, Briton John, Johann Burrowes, and Raynauth Jeffrey will compete in the elite category.
The road race is expected to start at the Biltmore Plaza Hotel before entering the racecourse and returning to the starting line for the chequered flag. Riders from sixteen nations, including Trinidad, Cuba, Bermuda, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and Belize, are taking part.
However, according to reports from Belize, only two riders from each participating team were permitted to take part in the time trial on Saturday ahead of the road race on Sunday. As such, Newton and John were the two riders who represented Team Guyana.
While Newton secured a podium finish, John did not place. In addition, Suzanna Taylor – the team’s lone female representative – did not participate in the time trials. She will, nevertheless, compete in the road race, which is approximately 70 miles long.
Speaking with DeNobrega on Saturday, he expressed confidence ahead of the race, assuring that he is in excellent form. He noted that, since the National Championships in July, he has been training with his coach, Wayne Henry, in Canada in preparation for this event.
“I am prepared and confident ahead of the race on Sunday. Myself, Jeffrey, Briton, and Burrowes will be competing in the elite category. Briton is expected to be our lead rider, and with the support of the other team members, we are hopeful for a good day on the road,” DeNobrega told Guyana Times Sport.
He added that the racecourse is somewhat rougher than those in Guyana and that the environment is very windy, which also presents certain challenges.
This publication also spoke with Jeffrey, who stated that he is mentally and physically prepared for race day. The team, he added, has been training hard since its arrival in Belize but also remarked on the intense heat, which will play a significant role in the outcome of Sunday’s race.
“In addition to the external challenges, especially the heat – which I think I have adapted well to – we have some record-winning riders from Cuba, Bermuda, Trinidad, and other countries. Team Guyana will have to bring their A-game. We have the right mindset as a team, and we are confident of doing well on Sunday,” he added.
The distance for the men’s road race is approximately 136 kilometres.
The Caribbean Elite Cycling Championships bring together young cyclists from nineteen countries across the region, competing not only to showcase their athletic talent but also to foster camaraderie and sportsmanship among the Caribbean’s elite cyclists.
Discover more from Guyana Times
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
