-Hassan Mohamed
By Emmerson Campbell
This year’s sixth annual ‘Ride for Life’ five-stage road race which will pedal off this Thursday has already attracted more competitors than last year’s event and it promises to be the best one yet.
This is according to National Cycling Coach, Hassan Mohamed, who said that the Tour of Guyana five-stage road race which will feature Guyana’s top riders as well as cyclists from the Caribbean, England and the USA has so far attracted 62 riders, up from 60 starters last year.
“We already have more competitors than last year,” said Mohamed during an interview with Stabroek Sport yesterday.
“We have six from Suriname confirmed, three from Aruba, one from England (Shawn Greene) one from St. Lucia and an overseas based Guyanese named Cyril Hunte who is the brother of Neville Hunte as well as the top local riders.
Mohamed also disclosed that the US$1000 first prize as well as the routes remain the same and all systems are in place for the gruelling 266-mile event.
Foreign riders have finished at the top of the podium over the past two years (Antonio Quintero from Miami based Team Coco’s 2010, Michael Larsen also of Team Coco’s (last year). However, Mohamed said that a local cyclist can win the event due to regular competition that they are exposed to.
“I feel the Guyanese riders should perform well and perhaps win the event because they have been getting regular competition, I could safely say competition is not a problem here in Guyana, right through the year they have competitions, actually every week they have races and as a result the juniors were able to bring home gold medals at the Caribbean Championships last month.”
When quizzed on whether he has knowledge of the local cyclists competing in teams, Mohamed stated that he cannot give a definite answer but noted that junior star riders Paul DeNobrega (this year’s junior Caribbean champion), Michael Anthony (this year’s juvenile Caribbean champion), Raynauth Jeffrey (bronze medalist at this year’s Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships) and Raul Leal (fourth place finisher at this year’s Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships) will most likely be part of a junior team.
The ride for life tour of Guyana five stage cycle race which is a collaborative effort of the Ministries of Health and Sport and the Guyana Cycling Federation (GCF), will be staged over a four-day period. The first stage commences at 07:30 hrs at Corriverton and ends at New Amsterdam (46 miles). On the same day, stage two will begin at 14:00 hrs when the riders will pedal off at Rosignol and journey to Georgetown (60 miles).
On day two (October 12) stage three will start at 09:00 hrs at Wales and end at Parika (36 miles). On day three (October 13) the penultimate stage will commence at 07:30 hrs at Supenaam and conclude at Suddie (62 miles).
On the final day, Sunday, (October 14) the final stage will begin at 8:30 hrs with the cyclists riding from Linden and finishing in Georgetown in another 62-mile race.
The inaugural five stage event was won by Alonzo Greaves (2007) while Junior Niles (2008) and Geron Williams (2009) took the top honours in the following years in that order.
Greaves told Stabroek Sport that he will not be competing in this year’s event and as such ruled out the possibility of regaining the title this year.
