Cyclists and friends of the sport rolled in to The Bunker 81 Sports Bar at Lime and Hadfield Streets for the cycling fraternity’s annual cycling awards ceremony.
The night was blessed with a healthy turnout and went according to the script. As expected, Junior Niles of team Cocos dismantled the Masters Under 45 category with 142 points and 17 wins to beat out Carlton Wheeler’s Jaikarran Sukhai with 52 points and Roraima’s Warren McKay in that order to the top prize.
Geron Williams was named the Outstanding Cyclist in International races having eight wins including 1st Caribbean rider in Trinidad and Tobago as well as two seconds.
Claire Fraser-Green was named 2016 female cyclist of the year with two gold national championships while Christine Matheson, with two silver national championships was judged runner up as Whitney Poyer was the 2016 improved female cyclist. Keon Thomas was the outstanding mountain bike cyclist of the year representing Guyana in the Caribbean Mountain Bike Championships.
In the open category, Orville Hinds raced away from the pack to be the best senior rider on points standing having amassed a total of 198 points during the season inclusive of 11 home wins. The Gillette Evolution rider was closely trailed by team mate, Michael Anthony with 169 points including seven wins.
Twenty-year-old Linden Bauxhall Flyer’s rider, Shaquel Agard, who also the National Three-Stage winner was crowned third overall with 160 points inclusive of three wins. Raul Leal of Evolution was in fourth with 154 points and seven wins while Evolution team mate Marlon Williams was in 5th.
Agard was also deemed to be the most improved cyclist of 2016 having jumped 104 points while Christopher Griffith was also another improved cyclist moving up 30 points.
On the other hand, We Stand United took command of the Junior division with Raphael Leung leading the way with 118 points inclusive of 11 wins and Berbician Andrew Hicks, who is the National Schools’ Cycling champion with 107 points inclusive of eight wins. Team Evolution’s Christopher Cornelius is expected to round off the awardees in that category with 84 points. Raymond Newton was the Outstanding Masters’ Over 45 cyclist.
The organizers extended thanks to everyone who made it possible, namely Shameer Baksh of Universal Auto Spares & General Supplies, Robin and Juliet Persaud of Money Gram at LBI, Damian Persaud of Superbet also at LBI, Kurt Bunbury of Kurt and Carol Grocery, Turhan Harris of Money Gram, in New Amsterdam, Jude Bentley Bike Shop at Robb Street, Terrence ‘Palm-fly’ Burnham of the USA, Nigel Anthony of Linden, Kamal Seebarran of Ray’s Auto Sales, Johnny Creavalle of USA, Alanzo Greaves, Cornel Greaves, Ronald Ferrier, Alex Mendes of Bunker 81 Sports Bar, Keith & Stephen Fernandes of Bounty Farm Limited, Sean Chin Chan of Chin Chan bike shop also of Robb Street, Natasha & Paul Chooweenam, Alvin Singh, Malcolm Sonaram and friends and supporters of cycling.
