By Avenash Ramzan
The Inter-Guiana Games opened on Friday morning with the Cycling Individual Time Trial at the inner circuit of the National Park in Georgetown.
A total of 10 riders- five each from Guyana and Suriname- competed in overcast conditions in front of a small gathering of cycling aficionados, who cheered on the riders as they attempted to clock the fastest time after two laps.
At the completion of the event, race official Joseph Britton had Suriname’s Dimitri Madamsir as the fastest rider on record, completing the course in four minutes, 10.12 seconds.
“My game plan was to really have a steady tempo and not start off too fast,” Madamsir said. “It was about having consistent pace throughout the course.”
Guyanese pair Alexander Leung and Aaron Newton closed out the top three spots, finishing second and third respectively.
Leung was timed at four minutes, 12.10s, while Newton stopped the clock at four minutes, 13.26 seconds.
Leung, a newcomer at the Inter-Guiana Games, said the experience was a good one, especially coming up against foreign riders in a competitive environment.
Newton labelled his debut at the Games as important to his cycling development. He added that the course had its own share of challenges, highlighting the difficulty dealing with the wind factor.
Meanwhile, one of Guyana’s standout youth riders Mario Washington did not have the best of days, clocking four minutes, 21.96 seconds.
Admitting that Time Trial is not his strong suit, the Berbician said he is looking to make amend in Saturday’s road race on the West Demerara roadway, a format of cycling he is most adept at.
“I expect to win it tomorrow (Saturday),” a confident Washington told News Room Sport.
The road race will start at 08:00h at Schoonord, proceed to Bushy Park, Parika, before returning to the National Track and Field Centre at Leonora for the finish.
Team Guyana: Aaron Newton, Alexander Leung, Adjani Cutting, Mario Washington, Sherwin Sampson
Team Suriname: Jair Norton, Isiah Pawirodinowo, Xavi Wadilie, Jeorcen Adelaar, Dimitri Madamsir
Notably, French Guiana did not field a team for cycling this year.