Digicel Annual Breast Cancer Awareness cycle race…
By Akeem Greene
It was an attritional battle in scorching heat between Team Evolution cyclist Raul Leal and Team Coco’s Jamal John, with the duo having to produce a dashing finish to determine the winner of the fifth annual Digicel Breast Cancer Awareness Cycle race on Sunday.
With the boisterous crowd shouting the names of the both wheelsmen, who completely dominated the race from start to finish, Leal began his attack after coming off the turn on Thomas Road into JB Singh Road, where it looked to be any of the two race but John switched gears in the final meters and managed to win the gruelling event inches ahead Leal in a time of two hours, fifty-four minutes and eleven seconds (2h: 54m: 11.72s), while 2015 champion Raynauth Jeffrey finished in a distant third.
Team Coco’s Jamal John touches the line, inches ahead of Team Evolution’s Raul Leal (Marceano Narine Photo)
The 30-lap race began on the outer circuit of the national park in front of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Camp Ayangana Base on JB Singh Road then proceeded north to Carifesta Avenue and continued westwards to Camp Road before turning east onto Thomas Road covering a total distance of 75 miles.
From the waving of the green flag, John and Leal broke away from the pack and looked like they were riding their own race, extending a lengthy gap on the rest of the opponents even before the half way mark and eventually lapping some other top riders. The rule for this level of circuit stipulates that if a rider is lapped he/she is eliminated and as such must drop out of the race.
While it was smooth sailing for the two riders in front, Jeffrey had to battle with the rest of the pack since with five laps to go, the only unknown positions were third to fifth.
Fourth –place finisher Orville Hinds gave the Team Coco rider some challenges but Jeffrey held his composure to reach the line ahead; Christopher Griffith finished in fifth placed.
For his splendid efforts John was awarded $250,000 and trophy for first place; Leal $200,000 and trophy while third to fifth received $150,000, $100,000 and $80,000 respectively.
In the junior actegory, Raphel Leung took first prize while Jornell Yearwood and Christopher Cornelius finished in second and third positions respectively. Leung won the first prize of $80,000, Yearwood $50,000 and Cornelius $30,000.
The veterans race which comprised of 18-laps, saw the over-45 category being won by Raymond Newton, followed by Ian Jackson and Kenard Lovell while in the under-45 Junior Niles clocked a time of 1:45: 26 to win ahead of Warren McKay and Jaikarran Sukhai.
Linden’s Hazina Barrett, racing for the first time since last year’s Digicel race, copped the female category, while Keon Thomas got the better of Ozia McUally and Sean Budhan in the Mountain Bike race.
In the Novice race, Oliver Young, Joslyn Khan Greaves and Sherlane Sue Hang finished first to third respectively while in the Digicel’s staff event, Dennis Christiani emerged champion with Kareem Baird second and Travis Ferriera third.
At the presentation ceremony, Digicel’s Chief Executive Officer, Kevin Kelly thanked all the participants and onlookers for attending the event and disclosed they managed to raise close to $250,000 for the event and that the company has matched that sum to donate $500,000 to the Cancer Institute of Guyana.
Over 100 riders took to the starting line which begun after Marketing head Jacqueline James did a ceremonial lap with all cyclist to mark the significance of the event.
