In an extraordinary display of speed, power and stamina, Team Coco’s Jamal John rode wire to wire and emerged winner of yesterday’s fifth annual Digicel Cancer Awareness road race in a thrilling two-man sprint finish.
John who never trailed in the grueling but lucrative 70-mile fixture (30 laps) which was staged around the outer circuit of the National Park, stopped the clock at two hours, 54 minutes and 11 seconds.
Testament to his class and dominance on the saddle on the steamy Sunday afternoon, the 19-year also carted off four of the five sprint prizes during the flagship event which attracted in excess of 100 casual and semi professional bikers.
The Team Coco’s standout led break away mate, Raul Leal (Team Evolution) and teammate, Raynauth Jeffrey (last year’s winner) onto the podium while 2014 winner, Orville Hinds (Team Evolution) and Christopher Griffith (Team Alanis) completed the top five paid positions.
Besides besting a field of Guyana’s premier wheelsmen, the ever improving John also became the first teen to ride away with the mammoth $250,000 first prize.
Yesterday’s race was a carbon copy of Saturday’s feature event inside the National Park where John and Leal shared the spoils after lapping the field.
From the smoke of the pistol, the two wheelsmen created separation from the rest of the starters who once again played the game of ‘cat and mouse’.
It was deja vu all over again as John and Leal’s Coco’s and Evolution teammates sat back and controlled the chasing peloton while the duo motored up front.
With every powerful turn of their pedals, the duo’s lead ballooned and at the half way mark, John and Leal were able to lap the field.
With the fans who lined Irving street outside the GDF compound cheering them on, the two cyclists soldiered on in tandem and continued to stretch their advantage.
With 150m from the finish however, team work was expectedly thrown out the window and the leaders rose from their saddles and a fierce sprint battle ensued.
Many thought that Leal, who is blessed with superior sprinting ability would take the top honours but John who rolled up the sprint, put his head down, gritted his teeth, kept his momentum and stole the show by a bike length.
Following the race, representatives of Digicel donated the proceeds of the registration, doubled it and donated it (half a million dollars) to the Cancer Institute of Guyana.
Quick Results
Seniors
Jamal John
Raul Leal
Raynauth Jeffrey
Orville Hinds
Chris Griffith
Junior
Raphael Leung
Jornell Yearwood
Christopher Cornelius
Veteran Over 45
Raymond Newton
Ian Jackson
Kennard Lovell
Veteran Under 45
Junior Niles
Warren ‘40’ McKay
Jaikarran Sukhai
Mountain Bike
Keon Thomas
Ozia McAualay
Seon Budhan
Females
Hazina Barret
Whitney Poyer
Sheneba Teixeira
