The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Chief Sports Editor

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas Cycling Federation has been blessed with 10 Scott bicycles to help with the development of the sport throughout the Family Islands.

During a press conference yesterday at the office of the Bahamas Olympic Committee, the federation revealed that they were pleased to receive the bikes from the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) solidarity programme at the start of their 2026 season.

“We have already had our first cycling event in Exuma last weekend and we are going to have the Tour de Grand Bahama next weekend, February 14-15. The highlight for the year will be the nationals back in Exuma in June.

"This is very important for the growth and development of cycling, both here in New Providence and in Grand Bahama as well as our Family of Islands," said Roy Colebrook, president of the BCF.

"The bikes that you see here today and some of the equipment that came along with it is a part of the solidarity programme by the UCI to assist us."

The order was placed from last year, but Colebrook said they just arrived and they came just in the nick of time as they work on the development of their programmes in the Family Islands.

This is the second time in three years that the federation has received the bikes and this year, Colebrook said Exuma, Andros, San Salvador and New Providence will be the beneficiaries.

Brian Strachan, a vice president of the federation representing Exuma, said the bikes will go a long way in their feeder programme that caters to about 25 youngsters.

"We meet on a regular basis at least three times a week, so these kids could be up and ready for when the time arises for the nationals," Strachan said. "We hope to be well ready to represent the island."

With the homecoming and regattas serving as a major boost for the island, Strachan said they have noticed that cycling also plays a vital role in the economy, especially with the staging of the nationals there last year.

"This year, it will only get bigger and better," said Strachan, who noted that Exuma is "sweet and our roads are perfect for riding and the scenery also enhances the ride. They say once is not enough, so they have to come back again."

Brian Cleare, another vice president of the federation who represents the island of Andros, said receiving the bikes will certainly enhance the sport on the island.

"Two weeks ago, on January 12, we had our first fun ride. Our next ride will be on April 7 for the kids," Cleare said. "The kids have been using the bikes they received for Christmas for the last three years.

"One of our junior riders competed in the nationals last year and he got a scholarship in a school in Florida. He was using his mountain bike for training. So having these bikes will go a long way in terms of training for the kids on Andros and stimulate the interest from the parents."

Like Exuma, Cleare said Andros has the pine forest and excellent roads and with less traffic, they can now extend their rides from North to Central Andros when they put on their races.

"What I like most about the kids in Andros, the young and the old are coming out," Cleare said. "We even had some kids coming out with training wheels on their bikes, but we had to put them on the truck because they couldn't compete with them.

"But I want to commend our president Roy Colebrook for doing an excellent job in supporting the Family Island Cycling Associations. He's very high on that and I think by doing that, in the future, we will have strong competitors from the Family Islands competing on the national teams."

Barron 'Turbo' Musgrove, the secretary general of the federation and the president of the New Providence Cycling Association, said the federation's plan is to expand its programme to all of the major Family Islands.

"We are bringing a strategic plan and that plan is to ensure that every youngster has their bicycles and can ride their bicycles," he said. "We want to create more healthy adolescents and teenagers and eventually adults.

"We have a situation with our health and we want to curb that. The plan of the federation can assist. Riding your bicycle stimulates all of the muscles, energies and positiveness in human beings."

According to Musgrove, they have been able to extend their national programme to include four major islands and they are looking forward to going back to Exuma for the Nationals in June. 

Shirley Mireault, the assistant secretary for the federation, said although they are getting the 10 bikes from UCI, they are hoping that more corporate sponsors will come on board and assist the federation.

"We are working on our qualifiers for the national teams, so this year is going to be very interesting," Mireault said. "No one can say who is going to make those teams.

"We have Exuma, New Providence, Grand Bahama, Eleuthera and Andros where we have active riders who are going to be fighting for those places on the team."

The first qualifier will take place at the Tour de Grand Bahama next weekend. So she's encouraging the cyclists to not just look at competing at the nationals to make the team.

Currently the federation has six cyclists, including Kami Roach, Anjaleah Knowles, Barron Musgrove Jr, Felix Neely, Laurny Duncombe and Aidan Bain, who are on subvention from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and they are expected to be among the top contenders at the nationals.

Also this year, Colebrook said the federation will be placing some emphasis on the training of their coaches and officials to further enhance the programme.