Tour de San Fernando next weekend

This year the race will coincide with the staging of the annual San Fernando celebrations on the same weekend.

The event which has been sanctioned by the Trinidad and Tobago Cycling Federation (TTCF), is being put on by the Southampton Wheelers Cycle Club of the southland.

The race will take place in three stages, the first which will cover a distance of 700 metres and will be open to Juveniles, Juniors, Veterans 40-49 and Seniors.

The first stage begins at 7 am and will be called the San Fernando Hill Time Trial.

Stage two of the race will begin at 1 pm and will consist a 20-kilometre per lap circuit race, called the Pleasantville Circuit Race.

The stage is expected to cover 60 kilometres and will be open for Juniors, Veterans, Juveniles and seniors. The third and final stage will be a road race using the Point Fortin Block.Cyclists will ride through La Brea, Point Fortin, Buenos Ayres, Erin, Palo Seco, Siparia, Fyzabad and conclude in San Fernando.

The club is now attempting to reach cyclists from outside the community in a move that is expected to reach out to the youths in the community and promote a healthy lifestyle as well as build the self esteem. It will also help in the discovery of new talent in the community and by extension the country.

Like in the past, the event will attract a number of regional cyclists in particular the top cyclists from neighbouring Barbados, Guyana, Grenada and St Lucia coming up against the best of Trinidad and Tobago.

The event first started back in 1990 and was won by cycling great Gene "Geronimo" Samuel, while Richard Dickie emerged the top junior cyclist.