Guyana cyclist breaks Cuban streak

It took the controlled speed and determination of Guyana’s Tyrone Hamilton to finally break the winning streak and dominance of his fellow West Indies teammates Joel Morinio-Miranda and Michael Pedrosa. This was in the longer international races of the Beacon Insurance West Indies versus The World cycling series at Skinner Park, San Fernando, over the weekend.

The Cubans dominated every international event at the two-day Southern Games held at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre, the previous weekend and they continued the trend last Friday and Saturday. The thousands of cycling enthusiasts were hoping that Trinidadian Elisha Greene or one of his other English-speaking West Indies team colleagues would come up trumps and stop the overwhelming presence and showing of the well-trained and better equipped Cubans. It all happened in the TIDCO-sponsored Unknown International race after the intermission on Sunday night.

Over 20 international riders were out seeking glory and they were pacing at top speed waiting for  the bell for the surge to front and race to the finishing line. After circling for over 12 laps and positions changing all the time, Barbadian Carlitos Jones made a break from the pack. But 22-year-old Hamilton and 21-year-old Cuba’s kilometre champion Pedrosa went after him just as the bell sounded. With a full circle of the track to complete, it was a do or die effort and the crowd were on their feet as Jones gave everything down the backstretch.  From what we witnessed in all the races, Pedrosa and Morinio-Miranda produced the fast finishing burst to win in fine style.

As they hit the final 200 metres mark, Pedrosa with Hamilton accelerating at top speed tracked Jones. They leaned into the final bend and it was the Guyanese rider who emerged first around the banked but tricky curve. He was not to be stopped as the threesome strained every nerve and muscle to cross the finishing line, much to the relief of everyone to see another international crossing the line first ahead of the indomitable and never-say-die “Castro Boys”. The valiant Hamilton took the gold medal while Jones and Pedrosa claimed silver and bronze respectively. Trinidadian Greene would have been inspired by Hamilton whom he edged in tight finishes in the Beacon Match Sprint semi-final rides. But the local hero faltered against former World Junior (1994) and four-time Pan-American champion Julio Cesar Herrera in the final.

Herrera clocked 11.70 in the first ride while Greene attempted to sprint for 600 metres in the next face-off. However, he paid the price and was overhauled at the 200-metre mark and gave up the challenge as Herrera took the title with the greatest of ease and comfort.  The 26-year-old speed ace and reigning Cuban match sprint champion had earlier disposed of his younger compatriot Pedrosa in two scintillating rides in the other “semis” at 11.94 and 11.93 secs. Pedrosa started the fortune rolling for the West Indies Team with a stirring victory over Morinio-Miranda and Greene in the Yoplait Yogurt four-lap race while pursuit champion Morinio-Miranda reversed the positions in the Elimination (Devil-Take-The-Hindmost). Jones was third for another WI one-two-three. Completing the WI team mastery over their rivals, Morinio-Miranda lapped the bunch and won the endurance-testing 35-lap race in 18 min. 45.69 secs. Pedrosa edged Hamilton for the silver medal while Greene place fourth.