NSC’s 40th Independence Three-Stage Cycle Race: 1st stage commences in East Berbice today
Walter “One Hand” Grant Stuart was the veteran winner last year
The highly-anticipated 40th Independence Three-Stage Cycle Race will take place in East Berbice today, May 20. It starts promptly at 7:00h at Corriverton, Guyana’s easternmost town on the Corentyne Coast, and keen competition is expected all the way to New Amsterdam, where that stage ends.
Top duo Akil Campbell and Jamual John dominated last year
Stage Two commences at 14:00h on the same day, and the rivalries of the first stage would be continued as cyclists leave the Berbice River Bridge to travel to Carifesta Avenue in Georgetown.
The third and final stage will start at 8:00h on Sunday, May 21, in Linden, and the rivalries of the previous day would continue all the way to the finish line on Homestretch Avenue in Georgetown.
There is a significant rise in the prize money on offer for this year’s two-day event. The overall winner will bag G$150,000; the person placing second G$110,000; third G$80,000; fourth G$60,000; fifth G$50,000 and sixth G$35,000.
Clevicia Spencer is the defending female champoion
Winners of the Veterans Under-45 and Over-45 categories will receive G$50,000 each, while the winner of the Ladies category would receive G$35,000. The top Junior cyclist will be rewarded with G$60,000, while the leading Juvenile rider will get G$20,000. Each prime prize is worth G$2,000 and 25 will be up for grabs over the two days. Further, each stage winner will get G$10,000.
This race is staged by the National Sports Commission (NSC), in partnership with the Guyana Cycling Federation, Powerade, and Chin Chan Cycle Store of Robb Street Georgetown.
Who won last year’s event?
Alex Leung has been in fine form as a junior in 2023
Team Foundation dominated the event in 2022, with Akil Campbell of Trinidad and Tobago copping the title and teammate Jamual John of Guyana taking second. Notably, Jamual John is currently overseas, and will not be participating in this year’s event.
Upon completion of the three stages last year, the Trinidadian Campbell had an overall time of seven hours, 18 minutes, 19 seconds; followed by John with seven hours, 22 minutes, 32 seconds. They were followed by Curtis Dey, Kemuel Moses, Jason Cameron, David Hicks, Deeraj Garbarran, Walter Grant-Stuart, Marcus Keiler and Andre Greene in that order to round off the top 10 finishers.
Grant-Stuart was the overall top Veteran rider. He clocked seven hours, 33 minutes, 02 seconds, and was followed by Robin Persaud in second and Paul Chooweenam in third.
In the Junior category, Arjoon Sookhai, son of Veteran rider Jaikarran Sookhai, emerged champion with a best overall time of five hours, 58 minutes, 15 seconds, narrowly prevailing over Sherwin Sampson, who was timed at five hours, 58 minutes, 19 seconds. Dimitri Madansir of Suriname came in third. The Juniors did a shorter distance that the Seniors.
Last year’s debutant, Linden’s Clivecia Spencer, was the overall Female champion, having won the opening two legs from Corriverton to New Amsterdam and then Rosignol to Georgetown. For the final leg, Spencer, a student of the Linden Technical Institute, was the lone starter, and the organiser opted against her completing the full course, given it was a foregone conclusion she was the overall female winner.
