Abraham for Newsday Challenge

NEWLY crowned Tobago International Classic champion Emile Abraham has confirmed his participation in the first Newsday Republic Day Cycling Challenge tomorrow at King George V Park in Port-of-Spain.

The national road race champion is expected to get his main opposition from Stephen Mangroo and Guy Costa who also performed outstandingly in the gruelling five-stage event which ended on Sunday. Details of the Newsday sponsored event were given yesterday by Michael Phillips and Richard Dickie of Phillips Promotions at a media conference held at Olympic House, Woodford Street, Port-of-Spain. Phillips, a former national sprint champion who now devotes his energies towards promoting cycling said the Belgian team which recently competed in the Tour of Tobago Classic will also bid for honours in the main event, a 35-lap sprint. More than $10,000 in cash prizes will be handed out tomorrow in addition to hampers and other prizes.

Winner of the main event will pocket $2,000 with $1,000 for the runner-up. Third placed rider will collect $700 with $400, $200 and $100 for the fourth, fifth and sixth placed cyclist crossing the line. There will also be attractive incentives for the unregistered riders, juniors, veterans and kids from Six and Under to 14 and Under. Phillips also said there will be several prime prizes in an effort to make the event more competitive among the cyclists who bank on their sprinting abilities. Apart from Newsday, Phillips said others who are contributing to the effort are Tampico Juices, National Flour Mills (NFM) and Universal Foods Limited. Once again Phillips stressed the importance of getting the young children involved in the sport and issued an open invitation to parents to bring their children along to enroll in a special development programme which pedals off next month. Dickie, a former top cyclist said the first part of the programme will be of an educational nature tutoring the young pedal pushers on the observance of street signs which he said will help nurture them into responsible adults.

The aim Dickie said is to replenish the junior category of cyclists which he said is currently depleted. The programme will also tap into the wealth of talent that exists in the veteran category. Phillips said another important part of the development programme is a road safety effort which would involve a series of signs emphasising their importance starting in the Chaguaramas district. He said Phillips Promotions is filling a void in the cycling calendar adding some stability and continuity to the sport with its series of successful races which cannot be effectively paralled by the cycling administration who are subject to a change every year. Phillips revealed that an exchange programme will soon be establish between Santo Domingo and Trinidad and Tobago to afford local riders the opportunity to compete and train for much of the year in a foreign country. Plans to establish two BMX tracks is also underway at Cocorite and at Walker Park in Caroni, Phillips said which will cater to the fast growing young crowd who own the popular trail bikes. And the Primary School programme, bringing the sport to the schools throughout Trinidad and Tobago, will get going in earnest soon. “We have secured ten BMX bikes which will be used primarily in the schools programme. We have asked to be involved in their sports days when we can arrange cycling races and have the bikes available for those who don’t have one,” said Phillips. Registration for tomorrow’s events take place before the event begins at 1.30 pm and the cost is $30 (seniors); $20 (vetarans and juniors); and $10 (kids and unregistered). There is also a hotline for further information at 687-RACE.

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"Abraham for Newsday Challenge"

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