Jamaul John and Briton John made the 17th annual Victor Macedeo Cycle Race their own, completing the 30-lap event around the outer circuit of the National Park in first and second position respectively.
Mission accomplished! Jamaul John, celebrating after his sprint to the finish
With 39 starters pedalling off in front of the big tree on Vlissengen Road to go on to Carifesta Avenue, and then into Camp Street and onto Thomas Lands before returning for the finish at the point of origin, Team Cocos rider Jamaul John triumphed over the competition in a time of two hours, 48 minutes and four seconds, capping his sterling performance with three sprint prizes.
In second position in the senior category was the red-hot Briton John, who had won two races during the last weekend, and had also captured five primes prizes.
Completing the top-five positions in the senior wheelsmen category were the Berbice trio of defending Victor Macedeo Champion Curtis Dey (third position), Andrew Hicks (fourth) and Andre Padlock Green (fifth).
Team Evolution’s Christopher Griffith defied all odds after his accident during the race to finish in sixth position, Marcus Keiler came in seventh, and Kemuel Moses came in eighth. They were the other top finishers in the senior category.
Battle of the Berbicians! Andre Green, Curtis Dey and Andrew Hicks
In the junior category, Berbician lad Ajay Gopilal occupied first position, while Justin Thom and Jonathan Ramsuchit rode in second and third respectively.
In the veterans’ category, Junior Niles came in first, while Alexis Mendes and Kwame Ridley rode in second and third respectively.
Light showers that descended on Sunday did not prevent the huge crowd that lined the roadways from witnessing the Johns compete for supremacy in this event.
How the race unfolded
Some 39 of the country’s top wheelsmen assembled at the starting point under overcast conditions to compete in this event. After the first lap, Briton John was at his trademark best, breaking away from the others. This time around Jamaul held on, and from that point onwards, the Johns — who are by no means related – dominated the race.
The heavens opened up, and as early as lap seven, cyclists dropped out of the race. During lap eight, Briton had a flat tyre and had to change his bicycle to maintain command at the top with Jamaul.
Notable cyclists who fell out of the race were Romello Crawford, Walter Grant-Stewart, Deeraj Gharbharan and Paul De Nobrega; while Michael Anthony had an off-day and was lapped during the race.
Jamaul and Briton John led the pack throughout this race
Battle of the Berbicians
A group of six had an intense battle, the boys from the Ancient County enjoyed that battle in the second bunch. In the prevailing cool conditions, Dey, Hicks and Green patrolled at top speed early, but as the weather changed in the latter part of the race, they toned down the pace.
It was then the final lap, and the man to win that battle was Dey, who outsprinted his fellow Berbicians in the close finish for third position.
Jamaul John speaks
“The race was a good one, and the change of weather made it a tough one,” champion cyclist Jamaul John declared after his win. Heading into this race with a plan to lap a few riders, the hardworking Jamaul added that it was tough, since he is not in top form.
When the chasing group was a minute away, Jamaul John became confident he could outsprint Briton John and clinch victory. Speaking about the getaway move from Briton, Jamaul said he continued to press on.
The next race is the Gold Race, and Jamaul John is focused on achieving greatness therein. He also has his eyes set on representing Guyana on overseas tours come the new cycling season.
