New routes, young riders impress in NSC 3-Stage race – GCF’s St Claire

Teenage cyclists and new race routes have been highlighted as major positives coming out of the 2026 National Sports Commission (NSC) Independence Three-Stage Road Race, according to General Secretary of the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF), Mark St Claire.
Speaking on the recently concluded event, St Claire said the introduction of new routes significantly challenged the riders both physically and tactically, while also exposing local cyclists to conditions more similar to those faced in overseas competition.
“The change in route was significant since most of our local cyclists are accustomed to the flat route,” St Claire explained. “What we observed when heading overseas is that most often we are riding undulating routes, and our cyclists at times lack the training and experience for such routes.”
He added that the revised course forced competitors to remain focused throughout the three-day event, contributing to a tightly contested general classification battle.
“I’d say yes, this year tested the cyclists both mentally, physically and tactically, since you had to ride your bike to stay in contention to the very last stage,” St Claire stated.
The event culminated with teenager Ajani Cutting claiming the overall General Classification title in his first outing as an Elite rider, while two other young cyclists (Alexander Leung and Mark Lewis) also secured spots on the overall podium.
According to the GCF executive, the success of the younger riders reflects the commitment being made by the cyclists themselves as well as local clubs investing in development programmes.
“With the youngsters’ presence on the final podium, it shows the training commitment,” he said. “All three of the youngsters did training in Trinidad and Tobago in the first quarter of this year.”
However, the federation official admitted that more work still needs to be done to strengthen youth development in the sport locally.
“On youth development for cycling, we are still a long way out, and the present crop are products of the local clubs’ investment,” St Claire noted. “More ought to be done in bringing more youths into cycling.”
He further revealed that the federation is hopeful of expanding participation through youth programmes during the upcoming school vacation period.
“It’s the federation’s hope that during the August holiday, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport will support the ‘Teach Them Young’ initiative to get more children involved in cycling,” St Claire added.
The 2026 NSC Independence Three-Stage Road Race was held as part of Guyana’s 60th Independence celebrations and featured a revamped route across several regions. The event attracted many of the country’s leading cyclists and produced highly competitive racing across all three stages, with young riders making a strong impression throughout the competition.