Cycling bids for bigger $lice

LEADING cyclist Michael Phillips has made an impassioned plea for the sport to be granted a greater share of Government assistance. The track champion strongly believes that cycling has done enough on the international stage for Trinidad and Tobago to be given treatment afforded other “major” sports including football and cricket. Phillips is currently the leading light for cycling locally and has been at the centre of initiatives to develop the sport including innovative development programmes and the staging of domestic and international championships.

Yesterday he launched the second event of the new National League programme, the Rotating Equipment Cycling Series which will be contested over the next two Sundays  (February 13 and 20) around King George V Park in Port-of-Spain. The media event was held at the M Valley Building on the Diego Martin Highway in Cocorite. And in highlighting the paucity of funds which is threatening to stifle the ambitious National League programme of 32 race days, Phillips wondered aloud about the unequal treatment meted out to cycling.

He recalled the exploits of Roger Gibbon, Leslie King, Gene Samuel, Ian Atherly and Robert Farrell on the international stage over the years, observing they had brought home more gold, silver and bronze at international meetings than football. Yet he lamented cycling has been starved of funds with lack of sponsorship being the major bugbear in holding meetings and getting more people involved in the sport. However he remains undaunted saying he is fully committed to achieving his goals within the next year. He has enlisted the help of King who earned four medals at the Central American and Ccaribbean Games; and the Pan American Games.

Now based in Arima, King devotes his time trying to unearth raw talent in the eastern district and is set to shine the cycling spotlight back on the concrete-banked Arima Velodrome. At the media conference yesterday King made several sober observations about the state of cycling locally and offered incisive suggestions on the way forward. He said the Cycling Federation must do an about turn on their emphasis on road cycling since apart from the lack of proper facilities — training and otherwise — it has not been our traditional strength. “Besides road cycling is easier to organise than track cycling. Track is more technical and demanding so it is better to avoid it, or so the authorities think,” said King.

The former outstanding national pedal-pusher also gave a rousing endorsement of Phillips, whose Phillips Promotions Company limited outfit has been in the forefront or organising cycling meetings with great success over the past several years. “Michael has the ability and proven track record in getting things done. Under his leadership we are certain to achieve great things. He has focus and a vision,” said King. King said the logistics of the National League events have already been worked out and appealed to the media to help filter out the news about the events to encourage as much participation as possible. The upcoming Rotating Erquipment second annual event, which will offer valuable points on the National League standings and cash prizes after the second day of competition gets underway on both days at 1.30 pm.

For the first time there will be a duathlon which according to national triathlon champion Jason Gooding is being placed on the programme at an introductory level. The duathlon is a run-ride-run event which is gaining popularity and designed to both competitors and spectators who enjoy both cycling and running.