The stage has been set for the commencement of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport inaugural five-stage cycle road race which promises to be one of the biggest cycle road races in Guyana.
Poised as a potential Caribbean event with a lucrative top prize of $200,000.00 to the first-placed finisher and covering a distance of 365 kilometres, the event, which starts this morning is expected to be the biggest event of its kind in local history with the lone downfall to date being the absence of foreign riders.
National cycling coach Hassan Mohammed told Stabroek Sport yesterday that no foreign riders will be participating in this event despite numerous invitations extended.
“We sent out invitations inviting cyclists from Antigua, Suriname, St Vincent, St Lucia and Trinidad but have not received any response at this time. But as the saying goes, the show must go on,” Mohammed, who along with permanent secretary in the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Keith Booker are the main architects of the event.
Twenty eight (28) local cyclists will face the starter this morning when the first of five (5) stages pedals off from the Corriverton Police Station at 7.30am and proceeds to the New Amsterdam stelling.
The second stage takes place from 2pm from Rosignol, Berbice to Carifesta Avenue in Georgetown.
With lucrative prizes up for grabs for the top 10 finishers, along with the country’s junior riders including 2007 Junior Caribbean champion Geron Williams competing for supremacy, the event should be exciting from start to finish.
The event will involve the country’s top junior, senior and veteran cyclists in an event which the organizers have attempted to model along the lines of the prestigious Tour de France event and will test not only the cyclists’ stamina, but their determination and strength also.
The event is not expected to be an easy one with riders of the calibre of Marlon ‘Fishy’ Williams, Warren McKay, Leer Nunes, Enzo Matthews and Scott Savoury along with the USA-based Terrence ‘Palm’ Boodram in the line up picking the winner of the top prize is not an easy task.
However, Alonzo Greaves, will start as one of the favourites having won most of the events leading up to today’s race.
But with five stages, each expected to be gruelling, only the fittest will survive.
The runner up is slated to cart off $150,000.00 whilst the third-place finisher will carry home $100,000.00.
The race will also serve as a platform to promote the ministry’s Fit for Life programme and the ills of HIV/AIDS.
On Monday at a press conference held to promote the event minister responsible for Sport Dr. Frank Anthony said: “The use of sports to highlight health messages is one that is not new or novel. This has been going on for a long time where you can use the power of the athletes to get messages on health across to the general population.”
The fourth stage of the event from Supenaam to Charity on the Essequibo Coast, returning to finish at Suddie, will be held on December 1 which is World Aids Day.
The winners of each stage will be presented with a yellow jersey.
