Digicel Annual Breast Cancer Awareness cycle race…
At 19 years old Jamal John rode a spectacular race on Sunday to win Digicel’s annual Breast Cancer Awareness Cycle race. From the waving of the green to the chequered flag, John took to the front of the pack with the experienced Raul Leal of Team Gillette Evolution, extending a lead that proved to be unassailable in the closing stages of the gruelling race.
What was even more admirable about the performance, is that in the scorching heat the Team Coco rider managed to rise from his saddle, swaying side to side to build momentum after 70 miles of riding, to produce a sprinting finish and edge Leal at the tape in a time of two hours, fifty-four minutes and eleven seconds (2h: 54m: 11.72s).
Leading the way! Hard work and determination ensured the Team Coco rider endured the tough conditions to cross the finish line first (Marceano Narine Photo)
Speaking to media after the race, John stated, “This victory is a big victory for me, this is the second big race in my career I have ever won and I’m really thankful for it.”
Only the day before the said duo produced a similar feat on the inner circuit of the National Park, ridding wheel for wheel while the rest of the pack wagged behind at the annual Payless Variety Store 11-race cycling meet.
However, that race came to an abrupt end with the race official calling it off after 16 laps and the duo having to share the spoils.
Considering that throughout the entire 30-lap race which 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, John and Leal hardly had any distance between them and the cyclist was quizzed as to when he knew he had the race was in his favour.
“The last seven laps I started to bring up the spread a little and I saw Raul cramping so after five laps I started to attack him and he took long to respond so I knew he was cramping,” John responded.
In the attritional battle, the Team Coco cyclist explained his “strategy was just to keep a distance like two minutes on the peloton and just keep focus on whatever break was going to occur in the race and the pack meet us but no one came so me and Raul just kept a momentum until the finish.”
The cyclist will now turn his attention to the National Sports Commission (NSC) Three Stage race for November 5-6, which is inclusive of two races and one time trial. On the first day, the riders will take to the roadways on at 7:00h to complete a 65 mile road race from Georgetown heading to Mahaicony where they would return to the starting point for a finish while completing an Individual time trial from Georgetown to Plaisance, a stretch of 3.5 miles from 15:00h later the same day.
The next day, the wheelsmen will then take to the Outer circuit of the National Park to compete in a 30-lap race beginning from 11:00h.
