The Bahamas Amateur Cycling Federation continued with its Cycling Development Youth Program, its Family Island Development and the revitalizing of its Island Association, as the organization along with its partners made a stop in the country's second city, Freeport, Grand Bahama for the first Herman Major and Grand Bahama Tank Cleaning Co. Ltd. Cycling Tour Championship.
The event was held on Saturday, August 9 and Sunday, August 10, 2008.
According to vice-president of the Federation, Keith Lloyd this is a process that members have undertaken to revitalize the existing organization, "to also encourage them to establish youth developed programs, stage cycling clinics within youth companies etc.
"To encourage community fun bike rides, to educated the public in their communities about the benefits of the sport such as, its environmental benefits, health benefits just to name a few."
Lloyd said that this is an ongoing project to cover all the Islands of The Bahamas, establish various bicycle clubs and where possible cycling associations.
"We formed a committee headed by veteran cyclist Sam "Iron Man"Brown and Noel Donna Brown, to travel the country seeking out talented youths, training them for local and international competition for the next four years, "as we prepare for the next Olympics."
Results
Overall Winners
1st Place — (Champion) Keith Major Freeport, Cycling Club
2nd Place — Barron, Turbo Team Warlords
3rd Place — Tracy Sweeting, Team JAR
4th Place — Vince Turnquest, Freeport
Cycling Club
5th Place — Kim Thompson
6th Place — Wayne Archer, Freeport Cycling Club
7th Place — Eugene Heastie
8th Place — Robert Bethel, Team Warlords
9th Place — Brad Heney, Team JAR
Divisional Winners
Sr I / Masters I Sr II / Masters
1st Place — Keith Major and Wayne Archer
2nd Place — Barron Musgrove and Eugene Heastie
3rd Place — Tracy Sweeting and Robert Bethel
4th Place — Vince Turnquest
5th Place — Johnny Hoyte
Sr III/ Masters III Junior Girls
1st — Brad Heney and Antinece Simmons, Team Warriors
2nd — Bruce Silvera and Abagail Minnis
Junior Boys
1st — Anthony "Biggie"Colebrook, Team Warriors
2nd — Justin Minnis, Team Warriors
3rd — Rihaime Colebrook, Team Warriors
Most Aggressive Cyclists
Kim Thompson and Vince Turnquest both cyclist out of Freeport
Stage I 54 miles
1st — Kim Thompson, time 2:46.04
2nd — Tracey Sweeting, 2:46.04
3rd — Keith Major, 2:46.05
4th — Turbo Musgrove, 2:46.09
5th — Vince Turnquest, 2:46.22sec
6th — Wayne Archer, 2:46.29
7th — Eugene Heastie, 2:50.52
8th — Robert Bethel, 2:53.27
Stage II 30 mile Circuit Race Chicken Farm Road
1st Place — Tracy Sweeting, time 1:20.58
2nd — Keith Major, 1:21.01
3rd Johnny Hoyte, 1:21.28
4th Vince Turnquest, 1:21.28
5th Turbo Musgrove, 1:21.30
6th Wayne Archer, 1:21.31
7th Kim Thompson, 1:21.32
8th Brad Heney, 1:28.26
9th Eugene Heastie, 1:33.04
10th Robert Bethel, 1:33.06
11th Bruce Silvera
Stage III 7 mile Individual Time Trial
1st — Turbo Musgrove, 16.22
2nd — Keith Major, 16.33
3rd — Vince Turn quest, 17.09
4th — Tracy Sweeting, 17.14
5th — Kim Thompson, 17.42
6th — Wayne Archer, 18.43
7th — Brad Heney, 19.16
8th — Robert Bethel, 19.43
9th — Eugene Heastie, 20.11
Stage Report — Saturday, August 9 Stage I 60 miles
Road Race High Rock to West End
The race started at about 10:00 a.m. with riders braving a course that was breezy.
The cyclists started off in a flash as race sponsor added several spot prizes throughout the race route and this caused a number of attacks by the cyclists.
The first spot-prizes or sprint saw Keith Major, Kim Thompson, Tracy Sweeting and Turbo Musgrove go for it, but Major won.
Coming in second was Tracy, third was Major again. The final sprint prime/spot-prizes was won by Major.
These small incentives caused the race to pick up speed, the group of cyclist travelled throughout Free-port, Eight Mile into West End, at a high rate of speed, causing the motor bike cop to blaze their sirens so the cars can move out of the way.
This stage came down to a blazing sprint which was lead out by Vince "Superman" Turnquest at about 35 m.p.h. The sprint went with Turbo, Major, Thompson and National Road Champion Tracy Sweeting, but it was seconds separating the winners.
Kim Thompson won, Sweeting, Major, Musgrove and Turnquest rounded out the top five places.
On Sunday the other stages were held— Stage II, Stage III and the Juniors.
The juniors took to the street with a short circuit race covering 12 miles. They started off with attacks from Justin "Jet" Minnis, Antinece followed, along with Abagail and they continued this way for most of the race.
But as Anthony "Biggie" Colebrook decided out of the cycling group, not to be seen again. So the fight came down to the others as Antinece out sprinted Justin, Rihaime and Abagail for second place.
Stage II for the male competitors covered 30 miles.
The race, from start to finish, were a number of sprints, break always and attacks by all the cyclist, including Tracy, Hoyte, Major and Thompson, who all made several breaks, but were eventually brought back in.
But it was in the last few miles when again Major and Tracy made a break and the pack was unable to reel them back in line, as a result, Tracy crossed the line in first, with Major following close behind.
The highlight of the race came down to the last stage, the seven miles time trial, "the race of truth."
The leaders were separated by seconds. They left the starting block at one minute intervals to take on the seven mile cycling course and at the end it was Turbo Musgrove with the winning time; Major second and Vince taking third place.
In the Masters II it was a tough battle as Robert Bethel, Eugene Heastie and Wayne Archer wrestled for the lead from day one.
The lead change from stage to stage. One minute Bethel had the lead, the next stage Heastie took over. In the end it was Wayne Archer, from Freeport, who just got the win over the rest of the pack.
In the Masters III new comer Brad Heney, who has been riding just over a year competed with the top guns and was right in the group.
The new comer took the win and this was a good one for him.
Organizers of this event thanked all their major sponsors, including Herman Major and the Grand Bahama Tank Cleaning Co Ltd.; Grand Bahama Cycling Committee; Andrew Bell, who served as an official; Rowshan Jones, who served as an official; Herman Major, who served as an official; Bruce Silvera; D'Albenas Agency Ltd.; the 'Mail Boat' for transporting bikes; Bell Channel Inn; Zulu's Car Rental and Bahamasair.
