In the scorching morning sun, it was Team Cocos’ top wheelsman, Hamza Eastman who managed to hold off Continental rider, Geron Williams in the final dash to the finish line to win the ‘Ounce of Gold’ prize in the 5th annual Kadir Mohamed Memorial 80-mile road race on Sunday.
The race rode off from the usual starting point, Homestretch Avenue, with riders in the Under-45 and Open Category proceeding to Dora (Coca Cola Sign) on the Linden/Soesdyke Highway and back to Homestretch Avenue for the finish line in front of the National Sports Commission.
The racers were all in close proximity of each other heading into the final stretch around the Cultural Centre turn, but the top four of Eastman, Williams, Shaquel Agard (Linden Bauxite Flyers) and Raphael Leung (WS United) quickly broke away from the pack, making it a dash to the finish line for the riders, but it boiled down to Eastman and Williams in the last 100 meters before Eastman piped Williams to stop the clock at a time of three hours, nine minutes and seventeen seconds (03H 09Min 17Sec) winning the ounce of gold, worth $257,500 on the world market. An ecstatic Eastman, speaking with Guyana Times Sport, pointed out that it was a very challenging race for him but sticking to the plans the team would have discussed prior to the race is what led to his success, adding that he is now getting acclimatised to the conditions in Guyana after spendin
Golden bite! Hamza Eastman tastes victory and the ounce of Gold prize for winning the 80-mile road race
g some time in Columbia for training, saying that “Guyana is much more hot.” Eastman said that his team knows that he is a very good sprinter and he was guided to hold back until the final stretch where he proved to be the better sprinter of the day. Eastman wished to point out that this race is a stepping stone and this form will be transferred in to the five-stage race.
Williams showed his disappointment after being needled into second as Agard finished third, while Leung raced in to finish fourth overall and become the first Junior rider to cross the line. Stephano ‘Sunny’ Husbands (Team Cocos) rode an exceptional race to finish fifth, ahead of teammates Junior Niles (sixth) and Christopher Holder (seventh), Team Alanis’ Paul Chooweenam (eight) and Team Cocos Jamaul John (ninth), all of whom were in a late sprint to the finish.
Niles, though sixth overall, won first place in the Under-45 category, ahead of Chooweenam (second) and Ralph Williams (Carlton Wheelers). Leung was followed by Jornell Yearwood (Linden Bauxite Flyers), Christopher Cornelius (Team Evolution) and Andrew Hicks (WS United) for 1st -4th respectively in the Juniors category.
Throughout the race there was no clear distance between the top riders but the race looked as if past winners, Raynauth Jeffrey (Team Cocos) and Michael Anthony (Team Evolution) would be looking to snatch the gold once more as Jeffrey won four primes.
In the shorter race, the riders in the Veterans Over-45, Mountain Bikers and Juveniles would have turned around at Silver Hill on the Linden Soesdyke Highway.
Roraima Bikers’ Andrew Spencer was the first Veteran to return and claim the chequered flag in a time of 02H 22Min 26Sec, closely followed by Kennard Lovell and Amrit Singh finishing second and third respectively, while for the younger men in the Juvenile division, Mario Ellis rode away with first place honours as Ronaldo Narine pedalled in third. Julio Melville won the Mountain Bike category with Ozia Mcaully copping second. The event was organised by Flying Stars Cycling Club and was sponsored by Kadir Enterprise out of Bartica.
