The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

TEAM manager Kenton Roker said the Bahamas’ four cyclists competing at the Caribbean Elite Men/Women Cycling Championships in the Dominican Republic did the best they could.

Neither Spanish Wells’ national men’s champion Lorin Sawyer and female time trials winner Marla Albury or female road race champion Antinece Simmons or Chris Curry advanced to the podium in their respective events.

Veteran Lorenzo Carter was also named to the team, but he didn‘t travel.

The cyclists in the Dominican Republic, according to Roker, had the opportunity to compete in the Caribbean Cycling Championships on Thursday and Friday and in the Pan American Championships on Saturday and Sunday.

“All in all, I think the team did its best,” Roker said. “The field of competition over here was very strong. Our ladies did their best.

Simmons became the first Bahamian female to participate in the Pan American Cycling Championships, but didn’t get to complete her race, which saw the top competitors travelling at a speed of 36 miles per hour.

“They had a lot of pro riders from Trinidad & Tobago and the Columbians, so she will have something to take back home, looking at what she needs to do to improve for next year.”

In her international debut, Albury was a “little jittery,” according to Roker, but she managed to finish sixth in the women’s time trials in the Caribbean Championships. She didn’t make the podium, but he said Albury did her best.

As for the men, Roker said the pace was sprinting around 46.8 miles per hour and although Sawyer and Curry gave it a gallant effort, neither were able to complete the gruelling race.

“Lorin just came off an accident in training just before he left the Bahamas for the championships, but he still went out there and gave it his best shot,” Roker said. “Chris Curry did his best as well.”

Roker said under the conditions that Team Bahamas encountered in the Dominican Republic, he was still pleased with their performances. He said they all understand what needs to be done to get better.

Bahamas Cycling Federation’s secretary general Barron ‘Turbo’ Musgrove, who didn’t make the trip, said from his vantage point, the cyclists must be commended for their efforts.

“The level has always been high and we’ve come to a point in our progression where we are competitive and the podium is in our sights,” Musgrove said.

“Marla rode the time trials without a time trial bike and placed sixth. That shows progress,” Musgrove said.

“We also had Antinece compete in the Pan Am Championships, the first for a Bahamian female.

“When you look at the men, Lorin is one of the top in the time trials in the Caribbean. He wasn’t at 100 percent because of an accident he sustained in Eleuthera and had to come to New Providence to get some treatment.”

Curry, according to Musgrove, did the best he could in the road race, but he nor Sawyer completed the race.

“We in the federation and the cyclists are now aware of what we need to do to be more competitive at this stage,” Musgrove said. “There are some things we both need to do and if we do it, we can now see us being podium contenders in the Caribbean and the Pan American region.”

On behalf of the federation, headed by Roy Colebrooke, Musgrove commended all of the cyclists for their performances and hopefully because of what transpired this year, they are looking forward to sending a bigger team next year.

Musgrove also noted that the junior cyclists will now prepare to compete in their version of the championships in October.

He anticipates that the Bahamas will definitely have some representation, but could not say just how many.