Carib Cycling Champs end today in Montego Bay

Adrian Frater, News Editor

Western Bureau:

Following yesterday's successful time trials, the two-day 2011 Caribbean Cycling Cham-pionship, which is being staged in the Rose Hall area of Montego Bay, St James, will conclude today with the elite road race featuring all 19 competing countries.

"The time trial went quite well and we were generally pleased with it," said Mavin Anderson, assistant treasurer of the Jamaica Cycling Federation (JCF). "We are expecting the championship to climax on a high today."

According to Anderson, the JCF is committed to making the championship a major success as it was the first time that Jamaica was hosting the championship, which is the symbol of Caribbean cycling supremacy.

Upcoming elite road race

The 19 competing countries are Jamaica, Anguilla, Aruba, Cayman Islands, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Barbados, Belize, Guyana, French Guiana, Martinique, Netherlands Antilles, Puerto Rico, St Maarten, St Martin, Suriname, the US Virgin Islands and Trinidad and Tobago.

Today's elite road race will be run along the scenic course in the Rose Hall area on a 7.2 mile circuit. The male riders will cover 10 circuits while the ladies will cover six circuits.

In the male section, Jamaica's bid to dominate will revolve around the United Kingdom-based Marloe Rodman; the Cornwall Cycling Club duo of Tinga Turner and Jason Briscoe; the United States-based Oniel Samuels, Cleveland Sharpe, Michael Daley, Greg Blackwood and Tyrone Edwards.

In the female section, Jamaica's main standard-bearer will be Dahlia Palmer, the darling of the Cornwall Cycling Club.

"The ladies will go off at 7 a.m., while the men will go off 30 minutes later at 7:30 a.m.," said Anderson. "It should be a very exciting event."