The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE Bahamas’ elite cyclists are en route to face some of the top athletes in the sport within the region.

The Bahamas Cycling Federation has fielded a team to compete in the 19th edition of the Caribbean Elite Cyclist Championships in Barbados October 17-19.

Team Bahamas includes Jay Major, Anthony Colebrook, Roy Colebrook Jr, Justin Minns, Chris Curry and D’Angelo Sturrup. The team will be coached by Barron “Turbo” Musgrove and managed by Keith Lloyd.

Approximately 100 riders from 20 countries will be competing in the three-day event.

“All of the Caribbean’s best cyclists, both men and women, will be there to see who will capture the titles for this year. The competition will be keenly contested from all of the Caribbean islands. The Bahamas will be right there in the mix as it sends a six-member squad along with two officials to compete in this very honoured cycling event,” according to BCF press release.

“The cyclists have been training over the past three months, especially for this event, and they are looking forward to the Caribbean Championships.”

According to Musgrove, the team is well prepared for this level of competition.

“The team has been putting in the mileage and time in preparation for this event. It has been a long season and they are much more experienced for this level of competition in the Caribbean Champs and therefore have worked hard in preparing themselves to deal with that style of racing,” he said. “They are excited once again to represent the national federation, the country, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and they are going to do their best.”

Team Bahamas is slated to begin competition on Saturday with Colebrook and Sturrup in the individual time trials. The entire team is scheduled to compete in Sunday’s road race.

The distance for the women is 53.6 miles, while the men will battle over 98.4 miles around the Bushy Park Circuit - 11 times for the men and six for the women.

For the event, the Barbados Cycling Union is receiving support from the Pan American Cycling Confederation (COPACI), the International Cycling Union (UCI) and the Caribbean Cycling Federation (CCC). There will also be a CCC Congress on Sunday.

Viva Cycling and Bahamas Cycling Federation’s joint hosting of the first Bahamas Invitational Cycling Championships.

Major is the current national cycling champion after he repeated as the top finisher at the event in July.

Following the gruelling 74-mile race, Major was timed in 3:13.20 seconds, while national team member Curry was fifth in  3:15.28.

Anthony Colebrook captured the New Providence Cycling Association’s pre-Independence Cycling Series in June. In the 15-mile event, he took first in 1:15:32.