Cubans give WI cycling edge

The West Indies team, led by the indomitable world class Cubans, took full advantage and made a clean sweep of all the Beacon Insurance West Indies versus The World Cycling Series International races at Skinner Park, San Fernando on Friday night.

The reigning Cuban match sprint champion Michael Pedrosa won the first Yoplait Yogurt three-lap International from compatriot Joel Marina with Trinidadian Elisha Greene in third place. But Greene, the Trinidad and Tobago 2002 “Cyclist of the Year”, who is a member of the West Indies team, became a victim of the cunning tactics employed by the powerful Cubans. He openly complained about the bewildering strategy to prevent him from challenging Pedrosa in the sprint to the finish through the final curve.

As much as Pedrosa was first into the curve, Greene made a strong challenge to get past Marina who opened on him which forced the TT speed ace to go further away up the banking rather than get the chance to challenge for the gold medal position. Greene was visibly upset and complained to the West Indies team officials as well as other race officials. He was so furious that he wants to race with the TT national colours rather than the West Indies team shirt.

However, nothing can be taken away from the better prepared and much more determined Cubans as they dominated all the races. And apart from his stirring victory in the three-lap race, Pedrosa returned to take the first four premiums (money prizes) for winning different laps in the gruelling 25-lap race, which brought the night’s proceedings to a close way beyond the midnight hour. The muscularly-built Pedrosa, the 21-year-old reigning Cuban kilometre champion, stayed within the main bunch as pursuit champion Marinio raced away with all the other premiums except one which was taken by Carlitos Jones of Barbados.

As they made their move for the final lap, Marina carried the bunch for the bell with TT’s road race champion Emile Abraham in hot pursuit followed by the on rushing pack. Swinging down the backstretch, Pedrosa in quick acceleration sped past everyone with Marina covering for him as he opened up a comfortable thirty-metre gap, which was not closed as they raced to the finish line. Abraham and Jones occupied the third and fourth spots, the feature of the international races with the West Indies Team riders filling almost all the top four places.

Marina, who won the opening Queen’s Park Savannah feature 14-lap race on Wednesday, continued his impressive form with victories in the Play Whe-Elimination race and the Tidco-sponsored three-lap event. His gold medal time in the three-lap race was one minute 22.40 secs. Pedrosa and Abraham followed him home and to the prize podium in the Elimination race while Pedrosa and Guyana’s Tyrone Hamilton took the silver and bronze in the three-lap swing.

Former World Junior (1994) and four-time Pan-American match sprint champion Julio Cesar Herrera was smooth as silk in the one-lap international which was covered in 28.37 secs ahead of a fast finishing Hamilton and Pedrosa in that order. Guyana’s 22-year-old Hamilton, deprived of any type of track to race or practice on in his homeland, proved that he is improving with every ride in Trinidad and Tobago. He outscored all the international riders to clock the fastest time in the flying 200 metres. The ever-smiling Hamilton, who hails from Kitty in Georgetown, flash around the metric furlong in 12.05 secs and were followed by Herrera (12.07), Colombia’s Carlos Munroy (12.09), Greene (12.09), TT’s Clinton Grant (12.11), Pedrosa (12.19), Canada’s Alexandre Maurais (12.22) and United Kingdom’s Robin Thompson (12.28).

These top eight finishers were down to race in the match sprint quarter-finals last night. Hamilton (No.1) took on Thompson (No.8), Herrera (No.2) battled Maurais (No.7); Munroy (No.3) clashed with Pedrosa (No.6) while Greene (No.4) faced Grant (No.5)