Open Race Results
1. Chris Holder
2. Junior Niles
3. Walter Grant Stewart
4. Robin Persaud
5. Lear Nunes
6. Chris Persaud
Junior cyclist Christopher Holder stormed to victory in the feature 30-lap clash of the 3rd annual George Cumberbatch Memorial race meet held at the National Park yesterday and sponsored by George Humphrey and Clifford ‘Toto’ Johnson and organized by Roraima Bikers Club, (RBC).
Holder, who enjoyed an outstanding 2008, has sounded a warning to his senior counterparts that there is no intention on his part to ease off the pedals.
He rode a smart race from lap one of the feature which attracted 30 starters, by far the largest for a feature National Park event in a long time.
In the first race of the day, Holder had to settle for runner up spot behind Geron Williams in an exciting finish. Berbice’ Neil Reece took 3rd. Darren Allen tamed the field in the Category 3 & 4 match up winning by more than half a lap while Tyrone Hamilton took the top spot in the category 1 & 2 clash. The three races apart from the feature were 10 lap events.
The organisers with assistance from Raymond Perez Sr. and Shameer Baksh ran off 3 additional races, two BMX and one female.
Ozia Macaulay was unstoppable in the open BMX winning ahead of Tariq Baksh and Teon Joseph, while Raymond Perez Jr. maintained his dominance of the 6-9 category with yet another win. Crystal Blackman was the runner up with Dineshwar Ragubeer placing third.
Naomi Singh won the female clash ahead of Abigail Humphrey, daughter of former national star, the Late Troy Humphrey.
The main event though had all the ingredients for a scorcher and it lived up to expectations with all the big guns turning out.
From the start of the race, it was clear that with such a star studded field the contest was not going to be easy and the fittest will survive.
The six that eventually took the top positions established an unbeatable lead by lap 20 and thereafter it was just a matter of the final placing.
The lead interchanged between the group from time to time and not even the second bunch led by Robin Persaud found it easy to connect.
Holder went for broke with about 300 meters to the line and was an easy winner in the end ahead of Junior Niles, Walter Grant-Stuart who rode a smart and intelligent race. Robin Persaud, Albert Philander and Chris Persaud filled the other positions in that order.
Warren Mc Kay, Holder, both of the Persaud’s, Niles and Philander won one prime prize each.
Raymond Newton and Robin Persaud placed second and third respectively to Hamilton in the Category 1 & 2 event with Philander and Kester Croal second and third to Allen in the 3 & 4.
Both sponsors in an invited comment after the meet expressed delight at the turn out and were more than happy to accommodate races for the BMX riders, who even though they were not on the programme, all turned out in full riding gear.
This was the third year RBC has organised this for the Late George Cumberbatch, a former National Cycling Star, Vice President of RBC and Committee Member of the Guyana Cycling Federation.