Despite wet conditions and a competitive field of cyclists, team Evolution rider Raul Leal made a decisive move coming off the last turn to outsprint Team Coco’s Hamza Eastman a tight finish to win the feature event of the Malta Supreme race programme in the inner circle of the National Park on Saturday.
Raul Leal expressed jubilation after the close sprint win
The trio of Leal, Eastman and Alonzo Ambrose broke away from the main bunch after just 4 laps, creating distance between them and the entire field after 25 laps.
Onlookers were of the view that Leal’s chances of winning were slim due to him riding alone against team Coco’s Eastman and Ambrose. However, he proved them wrong by using his superior strategy to finish in a time of 1 hour 20 minutes and 17 seconds ahead of Eastman, Ambrose, Christopher Griffith, Marlon “fishy” Williams and K. Moses in that order.
Earlier in the race, Raynauth Jeffrey displayed great sportsmanship by lending his bicycle to teammate Eastman who had suffered a puncture.
Andrew Hicks won the Juveniles 10 laps ahead of Raphael Leung and Nigel Duguid while Jude Bently returned to cycling to win the veterans under-50 five laps ahead of Warren McKay and Ian Jackson.
Raymond was the first to the finish line in the veterans over 50 followed by Kennard Lovell and Linden Blackman.
Adelae Hodge won the boys 12 – 14 years three (3) laps while John Niles won the 6-9 years two laps and Jeremiah Harrison the 9-12 years three (3) laps
The event was organized by National Cycling Coach Hassan Mohammed and sponsored by Banks DIH Limited under their Malta Supreme brand. Clayton McKenzie of Banks DIH said that the company is always pleased to be onboard for these sports activities and will continue to support them.
Cyclists will now shift their focus for today’s race on the West Demerara roadway, for the Dr Chase and Seven Seas seventh annual road race. The race is scheduled to start at 08:00 h outside the Wales Police Station and proceed in and out of Scoonard then along the West Bank public road and all the way to Uitvlugt and back where it would finish at the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
