McKay out-pedals Greaves in exciting finish Warren ‘Forty’ Mc Kay upstaged defending ‘Wheat Up’ road race king Alonzo Greaves to win the 6th annual race, sponsored by the National Milling Company (NAMILCO) and organised by the Roraima Bikers Club, to coincide with CARICOM Day observances.
Mc Kay, one of Guyana’s leading cyclists, rode a smart and tactical race to out-sprint Greaves in the last three meters to win in 2 hours 44 minutes 36.80 seconds. Junior, Geron Williams won his category ahead of Michael Nelson, while 43-year-old Berbician Gary Benjamin out hustled his City counterparts to win ahead of last year’s champ, Kennard Lovell and Linden Blackman in that order.
Ian ‘Dumb Boy’ Jackson trailed Mc Kay and Greaves to the line. Closing out the top six in the senior category were Christopher Persaud, Alex Mendes and Williams.
The race, which started in overcast conditions in front of NAMILCO, Eccles East Bank Demerara, attracted 35 starters and saw the juniors and seniors going all the way to Long Creek on the Linden Soesdyke Highway, before returning for the finish in front of the Two Brothers Gas Station at Eccles. The veterans turned back at the East Bank/Linden Soesdyke Highway Junction.
On the upward journey, Lear Nunes and Tony Simon felt that they had enough of the pack and broke away in the Coverden area establishing a healthy lead. They enjoyed that advantage for quite some time, but were sucked in by their pursuers around the Hararuni area on the Linden Soesdyke Highway on the downward journey.
Mc Kay, Greaves, Jackson and Chris Persaud went into ultra attacking mode as they segregated themselves from the field leaving them in their wake. It was a ding dong battle between the front runners especially Mc Kay and Greaves. In the end, the experienced Mc Kay who had to settle for the runner up position last year would have none of that this time around – out sprinting Greaves to the line for a well deserved victory, which coincided with NAMILCO’s 40th anniversary.
The new champion also won four of the 10 sprint prizes on offer, with Simon claiming two, with one apiece going to Jackson, Chris Persaud, Nunes and Junior Niles.
The organising club rewarded the first senior, junior and veteran from their club to finish the race, Albert Philander, Michael Nelson and Monty Parris.
Differently able rider, Walter Grant Stewart also received a special prize for completing the race, while all the competitors received medals to mark the sponsor’s 40th Anniversary.
Brief remarks were offered before the presentation ceremony by Roraima Bikers Club President, Brian Allen, Director of Sport Neil Kumar and NAMILCO’s CEO Bert Sukhai.
Allen thanked the sponsor for their continued commitment to cycling and sports in Guyana noting that the relationship between the two has been getting better each year.
Kumar complimented NAMILCO for the confidence they continue to show in sports and its development in Guyana, while Sukhai praised the cyclists for taking part and helping to make the race a resounding success.
Sukhai also reiterated the call he made last year for the organisers to make the event a truly CARICOM spectacle by inviting competitors from other member countries.
“I would really like to see this race becoming a bigger event with participation from other CARICOM countries and we should aim to achieve this. We have to work with the Department of Sports to make the event much bigger and exciting in the future.”
NAMILCO also took the opportunity to distribute a number of its products including ‘Wheat Up’ to all present.