Once again, in a repeat of last year, Briton John soloed to victory unhurried in the Forbes Burnham Memorial Cycling Road Race to retain his title, making it two wins in as many road races for the year thus far as his impressive run of form continued yesterday.
Staged along the roadways of East Coast Demerara, the route had to be shortened from its usual Carifesta Avenue starting point to facilitate a “turning of the sod” ceremony for a new hotel.
The race pushed off from the vicinity of the Ocean View Hotel area at Liliendaal and saw well over 30 cyclists in heated battle under the sweltering afternoon sun, heading to Bellevue and back to the point of origin for the finish.
However, one hour, four minutes, and 56 seconds later, it was Briton John, Guyana’s reigning Road Race Champion, who crossed the finish line without a rival in sight to claim the Elite/Open category.
John was followed to the finish line by Curtis Dey, who clocked one hour, six minutes, and 24 seconds to grab the second podium spot, while Robin Persaud settled for third. Mario Washington, Aaron Newton, and Christopher ‘Chicken Legs’ Griffith finished fourth, fifth, and sixth in that order to round out the top six in the Elite/Open category.
In the junior category, rising star Alexander Leung ruled the roost, while Alex Newton and Daniel Jang were second and third. Meanwhile, Robin Persaud took the top podium spot in the Veterans 40+ class, with Ralph Williams and Jaikarran Sukhai second and third, respectively. The revered Ian ‘Dumb Boy’ Jackson was in a class of his own to cop the Veterans 50+ title with Raymond Newton and Mark Spencer in second and third. The overall race, which saw four primes (sprint prizes) up for grabs, was shared among Griffith, John, Dey, and Roy Mangru.
The next cycling road race will be the annual Cheddi Jagan Memorial Three-Stage Race, which is set for March 3, 10, and 30-31 in Demerara, Berbice, and Essequibo.
