By Neto Baptiste
Jeffrey Kelsick and Lindsay Duffy opened their 2020 cycling campaign on a winning note, capturing the Elite and Female categories of the season-opening International Time Trial held on Sunday by the Antigua and Barbuda Cycling Federation (ABCF).
Held on the streets in the Darkwood and Morris Bay area, Kelsick clocked a time of 43 minutes and 31.59 seconds to finish almost a minute ahead of second-placed Sean Weathered who clocked 44 minutes and 25.97 seconds in the second position. Keyron Thomas grabbed bronze in the Elite category with a time of 47 minutes and 07.10 seconds.
Duffy was best in the Female category with a time of 28 minutes and 24.65 seconds. She beat Venessa Kelsick (30:10.84) to the line while Jackie Ashford was third with a time of 33 minutes, 11.64 seconds.
President of the cycling federation, St. Clair Williams, said winners will accumulate points throughout the season which will go towards their final position and also improve their chances of being named the body’s athlete of the year.
“We have a points system wherein the first, second, third go all the way down to the 10th position, and depending on the race, we have a scale where we give them points, so it would accumulate over the entire season, and at the end we look at the grading system and see who has the most points, and you would come out the top person for us to nominate you. It’s not only the points system, but it depends on the different races in terms of locally and overseas,” he said.
Chasondre Tonge was the lone competitor in the Junior Females category, clocking 37 minutes and 24.42 seconds, while Tahje Browne out-pedaled his opponents in the Cadets category, clocking 30 minutes and 03.13 seconds.
Aden Murray-Watkins was second in a time of 31 minutes, 51.16 seconds.
Joyce Murray-Watkins finished third in a time of 45 minutes and 21.97 seconds.
Questioned about the lack of junior females taking part in the time trial, Williams acknowledged the downturn but said the federation has been pushing the members to recruit younger female riders.
“We have had clubs that are looking to mostly the elite riders over the recent years and not looking to get more junior cyclists developed, and what we have been doing, in particular the club Wadadli Cycling Academy, is going into the schools and trying to get the younger riders to make sure that we have transition from juniors to elite and to continue that sort of progression,” he said.
In other results, Delvin Peters captured the Masters category in a time of 24 minutes and 03.90 seconds, with Neil Lloyd (24:34.78) and Alistair Savory (26:07.19) finishing second and third respectively.
In the Sports division, Joel Griffith finished first in 24 minutes, 38.65 seconds while Richard Lam and Alistair Ashford finished second and third respectively.