Cycling Championships on Sunday

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Wednesday, 28 March 2012 02:30

By caribarena news

Antigua St John's - The Antigua and Barbuda Cycling Association will be hosting the 2012 National Time Trial Cycling Championships on Sunday April 1 at the PRG.

The APUA-inet sponsored event will take place on Sunday from 2:30 pm at the island’s most popular cycling venue, in front of the Police Recreation Grounds. The riders start individually (one minute apart), and go all out to produce the fastest time over the 19-mile distance.

This type of race used to determine the individual speed of a rider, and no effort is spared once the riders leave the start gate. The route will take the riders from the PRG up Factory Road, North Sound, past Mount Joy Roundabout to Freemans playing field, where the riders will turn and head back following the same route for two laps.

Marvin Spencer of Team Terminex is the reigning National Champion, while Tamiko Butler, also of Team Terminex, is the reigning National Female Champion, and Tesheed Gordon is the reigning National Junior Champion. All three have already made commitment to defend their title on Sunday.

Sunday’s race is set to be the fiercest in the history of time trials in Antigua & Barbuda, which will happen in all categories. "Never before we ever had so many riders that can take the top title,” said Cliff Williams, president of the Antigua and Barbuda Cycling Association.

“We have the defending champion, Marvin Spencer, who is strongly the race favourite, but several riders that earned this title before that are raging and ready to regain the sport powerful title.

With riders like Jyme Bridges, who we are happy to have on island to challenge for this year’s national title, Robert Marsh, who narrowly missed out on the top spot last year, and who also holds the fastest time on the course (44:57) Dale Richardson, Neil Lloyd, National Triathlete Andre Simon, Ken Jackson and Garfield Henry are all names that can walk away with the nation’s top title this coming weekend."

He added, "Tamiko Butler is certainly the race favourite to retain the female title. Her strongest challenge is expected to come from the island’s number-one ranked female cyclist, Lindsay Duffy, as well as Kevinia Francis. It should also be a showdown between Tesheed Gordon of the Rattlers Cycling Club and Tristan Matthew of Team Terminex in the Junior-Class."

The B-Class is not a national title, but will be recognised as the island’s best B-Class time trialist. This category also expected to showcase some talent of the island’s future stars. Last year’s winner, Devon Norris was promoted to A-Class at the beginning of the 2012 season, this leave the class open for a new B-Class Champion.

Walton Francis, Brent George, Mervin Gore, Ashley Rhodes, Gilrick Pryce and Tamiko Butler who is contesting the B-Class category for the as a form of training to better prepare for her gender’s events.

The 2012 National Time Trial Cycling Championships will used as a qualifier to select a time trialist for one of four spots to represent Antigua & Barbuda at the 2012 Caribbean Cycling Championships to be held in Antigua from October 13-14.

The winner of the overall class will automatically selected as a member of the squad ahead of a long list of potential of the Antigua & Barbuda team, which is expected to be announced in May.

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