National Cycling Championship results on hold after chaotic finish

− UCI to review results

Story and photos By Brandon Corlette

The results for the senior National Cycling Championship in Guyana were placed on hold after an irregular sprint which saw Briton John, Romello Crawford, Paul DeNobrega, Christopher Griffith, and Walter Grant Stuart crossing the line in that order.

The GCF and the riders in deep discussion

The wheelsmen weathered the storms and conquered the heat in four hours 17 minutes in the 100-mile battle which started at Banks DIH Thirst Park, proceeded to the Linden-Soesdyke Highway (50 miles up) and returned to the point of origin for the finish.
However, DeNobrega and Crawford protested the finish.

Race reactions
According to Enzo Matthews, the Third Vice President of the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF), the video and results will be sent out to the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), which is the world governing body of cycling. The UCI will review these results within 24 hours.

Andre “Padlock” Green finished the gruelling ride along

“Everyone seems to know the rules and when you are in position of that state, it means that we need to send it to the proper authority, which is the UCI. We have rear camera and we have front camera video of the last 200 metres of this event and we will be sending off this information to the UCI and, depending on their decision, that will be final. At this time, we do not have an official winner,” Matthews further explained, while apologising.

Romello Crawford has shown fine form on his return to Guyana

Meanwhile, GCF Racing Secretary Malcolm Sonaram said that the footage was reviewed and it clearly showed an infringement with John coming inward three times. “By virtue of that, I am relegating him; this, I think, is the third time he has done this and we can’t allow this pattern to continue. He should be disqualified, because it’s the third infringement. The positions are Romello Crawford, Paul DeNobrega and Christopher Griffith,” Sonaram explained.
John, a We Stand United rider, who won the Independence Three-Stage Road Race last weekend, told media operatives that he raced ‘clean’ in the final moments of a race which he described as a good one. “Two cyclists are claiming that I cheated, but that is not true. I held my lane in the race; the evidence is right there,” John expressed.

GCF Racing Secretary Malcolm Sonaram

Crawford, who is fresh from a stint in the United States of America with Team Jamison – only landing in Guyana a few days ago, was disappointed with the style of riding from John. “I got caught up to the back, ride my way back up in the field. John started to ride nasty. Me, him (Briton) and Paul rode and he had the entire road and he started pulling on us and you can ask Paul, he almost write off everybody and people could have gotten injured on the field. That is nasty riding and I don’t ride nasty. I came to win,” the Berbice cyclist said after the race.

As it happened
Earlier in the 100-mile event, Deeraj Garbaran, Grant Stuart, and Adele Hodge led the way. The decorated peloton included the likes of Jamual John, Griffith, Briton John, Raynauth Jeffrey, and Crawford. Briton John, as usual, launched several attacks upon the return.

President of We Stand United and Sport Journalist Frankie Wilson expressing himself

The peloton, which included the top guns, eventually reached the three leaders after the penultimate climb. Jeffrey, who did not finish the race, fell away at Den Heuvel. His team-mate and defending national champion, Jamual, eventually crossed the line in ninth place. He was in conversation with the time-trial champion (Jeffrey).
While passing Pearl on the East Bank, the four leaders of the race were Briton, Grant Stuart, and Team Evolution’s duo, DeNobrega and Griffith. Briton then attacked, but he was tailed by DeNobrega and Griffith while dropping Grant Stuart at Friendship, but that was only temporarily as the differently-able rider displayed brilliance throughout.

John crossing the line first while Paul DeNobrega and Crawford protest

Crawford, who was dropped after exiting the highway, proved to be the gamechanger and returned from the back all alone to join the leaders with approximately three kilometres to go to the finish. Briton then attacked after the final turn at Thirst Park and he was tailed by DeNobrega and Crawford. The trio sprinted it out, but what was described as an irregular sprint, saw Briton coming inwards, while Crawford looked to take the win from the outside and DeNobrega was in the middle of it all.