The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN a fierce battle over the past two days, Spanish Wells’ Lorin Sawyer and Kevin Daley split the men’s time trials ands road race titles at the Bahamas Cycling Federation’s National Independence Cycling Championships.

After retaining his time trials crown on Saturday at Clifton Heritage Park, Sawyer got out-sprinted by Daley in the gruelling 29-mile road race yesterday at the same venue.

Marla Albury was the open women’s champion in both the time trials and road race.

In winning the eight-lap men’s race, Daley pulled away from Sawyer on the home stretch to cross the line at the end of the eight-lap race in two hours and 50.01 seconds. Sawyer trailed in 2:50.01 in a showdown that resumed from the time trials the day before.

After recovering from a slight cramp that dropped him off a three-man pack out front on the final lap, Edward Bethel managed to get through the rest of the race for third place in 2:52.51.

“It was a good race. I knew that I had the speed, so if it came down to a sprint, I had a chance to win,” Daley said. “After we saw that Eddie (Bethel) got dropped, we went for it. I just decided to wait my time to strike.”

This is just the second year that Daley has been competing. The native of Jamaica said having been residing in the Bahamas for the past 20 years, he’s just waiting to get his citizenship papers so that he would be eligible to represent the Bahamas on the international stage.

He commended Sawyer, but noted that after he got so close to winning the time trials on Saturday, he was more determined to clinch the road race on Sunday. He noted that Sawyer made him work for it.

The 38-year-old Sawyer, who owns a canvas shop, said he was just glad that he was challenged to defend his titles in both races.

“It was hard. Kevin made me work hard yesterday in the time trials. He pushed me to my limit and I came out with the win,” Sawyer said.

“He did it to me again today. We took it out for the entire race. So we were pretty much up front by ourselves with Eddie (Bethel) in there.

“But with one mile to go (in the road race), I tried to go for a break. I took off and pretty much got into a timed trials, but when I looked back, he was right there, so I knew I couldn’t do it. So I had to step back and wait for the sprint and see who was the better man. I couldn’t go with him when he did.”

Having been named to the Commonwealth Games team going to Birmingham, England in August, Sawyer said this was a good opportunity to get in some work to prepare himself.

“Kevin rode a very strong race, so it was good to have a competitor like that who pushed me to my limits,” said Sawyer.

“He came second yesterday and I came second today, but he deserved it and I deserved. We’re two strong competitors, so any given day, either one of us could win it.”

Grand Bahamian Ayden Bain, who got second in the time trials in the boys 12-14 division, came back to win the divisional road race.

“It was good, but I just needed a little more water because I got dehydrated on the last lap,” said Bain, a student of Tabernacle Baptist Academy.

“The competition was good.”

Fellow Grand Bahamian Ellie Gibson, a student of First Class Education, won the boys 15-17 road race after he moved up from the 12-14 division where he won both the time trials and road race last year.

“It was good,” Gibson said. “I just tried to stay with the guys in front and don’t overtake. I expected to come second, but I prayed to God and he helped me to win. I just want to thank him.”

Federation president Roy Colebrooke said after two full days of competitive racing, they were able to complete what could only be described as one of the best nationals held in a long time.

“We just want to thank the family and friends who came out and cheered on their favourite cyclist,” Colebrooke said.

“It’s also noticeable about the amount of young kids who participated. That was also very encouraging and it’s very important that we continue to grow the sport of cycling from strength to strength.”

• Here’s how they finished in the time trials on Saturday:

Males 9-11yrs - 1st Sibby Potter, 18:00 mins; 2nd Lauchlan Menzies - 19.12mins; 3rd Frazer Menzies - 21.18mins; 4th Stafford Sweeting - 24.14mins; 5th Thaddeus Knowles - 24.33mins; 6th Anthony Knowles - 25.02mins; 7th Kendrick Cargill - 25.32mins.

Females 9-11yrs - 1st Paityn Burrows - 31.09mins

Males 12-14yrs - 1st Malcolm Menzies - 31.35mins; 2nd Ayden Bain - 33.09mins; 3rd Callum Pritchard - 39.34mins; 4th Tristan Johnson - 43.39mins; 5th Thomas Knowles - 45.09mins; 6th Brian Burrows - 45.38mins.

Females 12-14yrs - 1st Taylor Knowles - 54.13mins.

Males 15-17 - 1st Launy Duncombe - 34.50mins; 2nd Marron Musgrove Jr. - 35.17mins; 3rd Enea Gervasini - 35.50mins.

Females 15-17yrs - 1st Erin Pritchard - 37.49mins; 2nd Sienna Culmer-Mackey - 48.19mins.

Open Females - 1st Marla Albury - 50.33mins; 2nd Mary Gibbs - 51.08mins; 3rd Ilaria Gervasini - 54.04mins; 4th - Lynn Pritchard - 57.46mins; 5th - Sanchia Fitzmaurice - 59.02mins.

Masters Male - 1st Lee Gibbs - 44.12mins; 2nd - Robert Butler - 51.11mins; 3rd Wayne Price - 52.02mins.

Senior 3 Males - 1st Theodore Williams - 47.24mins; 2nd - Devon Butler - 50.17mins.

Senior 2 Males - 1st Jeff Tynes - 50.12mins.

Senior 1 Males 1st - Lorin Sawyer - 38.37mins; 2nd - Kevin Daley - 39.06mins; 3rd - Lorenzo Carter - 42.03mins; 4th - John Cox - 42.32min.

• Here’s how they finished in the road race on Sunday:

9-11 boys – (two laps) – Sibby Potter – 37.42; LauchlanMenzies – 39.26; Fraser Menzies – 44.50; Lyall Menzies – 47.57; Stafford Sweeting – 47.59; Thaddeus Knowles – 50.29; Kendrick Cargill – 1:07.02.

9-10 girls – Paityn Burrows.

12-14 boys – Ayden Bain – 47.48; Malcolm Menzies – 47.49; Callum Pritchard – 57.52; Brian Burrows – 1:03.17; Thristan Johnson – 1:08.40; Nathaniel Adderley – 1:10.34; Thomas Knowles – 1:14.05; Khristian Wright – 1:20.45.

Boys 15-17 – (four laps) Ellie Gibson, 1:05.57; Barron Musgrove Jr, 1:05.58; Ora Gervasini, 1:05.59.

Girls 15-17 – (three laps) Erin Pritchard, 1:16.02.

Open women – (three laps) – Marla Albury, 1:06.25; Mary Gibbs, 1:07.02; Ilarla Gervasini, 1:19.33; Lynn Pritchard, 1:25.43.

Masters men – (five laps) – Lee Gibbs, 1:44.42; Kenta Roker, 1:44.43; Andrew Cates, 1:59.32; Robert Butler, 2:04.49; Wayne Price, 2:07.33; Adam Potter, 2:14.11.

Senior 3 men – five laps) – Allen Castillo, 1:59.13; Richard Horton, 2:04.53.

Senior 2 men – (eight laps) – Edward Bethel, 2:51.51; Jeff Tynes, did not finish.

Senior one men – eight laps) – Kevin Daley, 2:50.01; Lorin Sawyer, 2:50.02; John Cox, 2:55.56; Wes Albury, 2:57.57; Patrick Paul, 2:56.05; Lorenzo Carter, 3:11.08.