After placing fourth in the first leg of the annual Cheddi Jagan Memorial road race last week in Berbice, last year’s most successful cyclist Robin Persaud found favour yesterday on the West Demerara and sprinted to his first victory of the season.
In the fifth annual Cheddi Jagan Memorial Krishna Ramlall Sawmills sponsored 50-mile road race, Persaud, winner of 15 races last year, stopped the clock at one hour, 56 minutes and 44 seconds, almost three minutes faster than last year’s winning time (one hour, 59 minutes and 24 seconds) set by Junior Sportsman of the Year, Paul DeNobrega.
Persaud, 38, led national road race champion, Orville Hinds and winner of last week’s leg, Raynauth Jeffrey into the top three positions of the race which commenced at Wales Police Station, proceeded to Bushy Park and ended at the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
In-form cyclist Alonzo Greaves, who has won five races for the season, was battling the flu but still placed fourth while Eric Sankar and John Charles rounded out the top six.
Along with copping the senior winner’s trophy, Persaud also copped two sprint prizes as did Jeffrey.
Sankar, Raymond Newton, Andrew Reece and Paul Choo-Wee- Nam also pocketed a sprint prize each.
Kennard Lovell, Ralph Williams and Ian Jackson were the top three veterans while Montell Anthony, Hamza Eastman and Mario King rode in first, second and third in the junior category. Ozia McAlley, Stephano Husbands and Julio Melville were the top three upright finishers in that order.
The event, the second of three scheduled Cheddi Jagan Memorial cycle road races, saw 62 riders including females Naomi Singh (female winner) and Hazina Barret facing the starter’s pistol.
The race, which was highly competitive, saw the riders bunched together for most of the event with the lead interchanging periodically.
There were several mini breaks with different riders but the race would be decided among the top three when they separated from the field at Stewartville on the way back.
Persaud, Hinds and Jeffrey worked as a team to increase the lead over the chase peloton until team work went out the window about 200 metres before the finish line.
With victory in sight a fierce sprint ensued but Persaud blessed with superior sprinting prowess, powered across the finish line, edging Hinds for the top spot.
Mohamed, the national cycling coach, thanked the cyclists for making the event a successful one and stated that he will pedal off the third and final leg of Cheddi Jagan Memorial races on March 24 in Essequibo.
