Kravitz Jeffrey was the star of the show but Guyana’s other cyclists stuck to the script yesterday, sweeping the medals of the Inter Guiana Games (IGG) boy’s road race here in Suriname.
One day after uniting to dominate the team time trial, the local wheelsmen put their individual talents on display for the flashing cameras and emerged winners of the 69km event in beautiful sunshine of downtown Paramaribo.
Jeffrey pedaled to gold after inexplicably breaking away from the team with 50 meters to go while Shaquel Agard and Alonzo Ambrose placed second and third as the Guyanese crowded the podium.
Akeem Arthur was fourth officially on the time sheet but the wheelsmen were
all winners as they pedaled in together hands raised across the finish line.
At 10km into the race, Ambrose who snared bronze at the Caribbean Junior Championships earlier this month, transformed into time trial mode leaving the pack behind.
Agard and Ambrose then got away with French Guiana’s Raphael Janvio (fifth place) as Arthur and Jeffrey kept the pack in check about 200m behind.
After the second lap, Ambrose still in time trial mode, stretched his lead in excess of a minute as Jeffrey and Arthur joined Agard to do battle with Janvio.
At the bell lap, with Janvio dropped from the peloton, a patriotic Ambrose decided to wait on his teammates for an all Guyana finish. That was not to be as Jeffrey had a rush of blood and rose from his saddle just before the line to grab the gold.
Note: According to coach of the team, yesterday’s sweep was also achieved in 2011.
In the female segment of the road race, Guyana’s Ronella Samuels (4th) and Toshwanna Doris (5th) were not as fortunate as their countrymen since the formidable hosts occupied all three spots on the podium.
In the 34.5km event, Marelva Springer, Zulehka Burnet and Tamia Slijngaard earned the top honours for Suriname.
After a points tally, Team Guyana was adjudged champions of the cycling segment of this year’s Games which concluded yesterday.
