Cubans coming again for Beacon cycling

A 14-Lap Opening Night Savannah Road event will begin the 2004 Beacon Insurance West Indies versus the World Cycling Series to be held from March 31 to April 11 at venues throughout Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean.

Beacon has once again put forward a $300,000 sponsorship package for the series which has been expanded to welcome female cyclists into the arena and reach out to communities across Trinidad and Tobago. At the media launch yesterday, Michael Phillips of Phillips Promotions  revealed that Cuba will once again join the West Indies team to add strength to an already formidable outfit. “The World” will be represented by a 32-member contingent which includes six sprinters. The remainder are long distance riders as this year’s main focus on the track is endurance.

Sponsors and organisers also expect a minimum of 12 competitive female cyclists — a first in this year’s event. Plans are also in place for invitations to be extended to cyclists from Latin America, apart from others such as Jeff Hopkins of Australia and Italy’s Robert Piapa, to add extra international flavour to the event. An exchange programme is also in the works and this will facilitate three young local cyclists going to Cuba on a month-long scholarship. It is a way to give back to the youngsters involved in the series by aiding their development in the discipline said Phillips, a former national track champion.