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Tuesday, March 19, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesCyclist Mark Defour Wins V.I. Championship Time Trial and Championship Road Race

Cyclist Mark Defour Wins V.I. Championship Time Trial and Championship Road Race

V.I. Championship Time Trial and Championship Road Race CyclistsThe Virgin Islands Cycling Federation held a championship weekend of events, which concluded the 2013 cycling season. Saturday was the V.I. Championship Time Trial race and Sunday was the V.I. Championship Road Race. Below are the race recaps. Mark Defour, a 20-year Elite rider, won both events.
Cyclists competed in this morning’s 2013 V.I. Championship Road Race at the airport. The breeze picked up and the showers came as they covered two and four laps of the six-mile course.
The Elite race was a tight one as Mark Defour and Glenn Massiah alternated fastest split domination with each lap. Defour was victorious in the end, finishing 28 seconds overall ahead of Hula in a time of 1:03:53. David Parris finished third in 1:08:24, more than one minute ahead of fourth place Cumba Greaux.
Although Deve Barbour caught a flat on the second lap, he rode hard to make up for lost time. After a speedy change, Barbour finished first in the Expert category in 1:21:48. With perseverance, Yves Abraham crossed the line in second place. John Harper abandoned the tough race in the second lap.
Laverne Fredericksen, who usually rides in the Expert category, took on the two-lap race with vigor. Since this was a qualifying race for the Elite CCC, Fredericksen was able to prove herself in the shorter time trial distance. She went on to complete the four laps unofficially. Valentino Gario posted very consistent lap times and took second place in the Sport category with a time of 45:01. Bina Gario was third in 45:52.
The raffle to help raise funds to cover the expenses of the championship weekend was a big success. Congratulations to Wayne Scott who won the Galaxy Pad, to Billy Evans who won a round-trip ticket on Seaborne Airlines and to Edwin Cruz who won a dinner for two to the Blue Water Terrace.
The shorter Expert race consisted of a dozen veteran and newbie riders, which turned out to be the most aggressive, competitive bunch. Sue Brown and Troy Holloway teamed up. Deve Barbour was forewarned, so he rode smart and followed their lead. James Meyers maintained his spot among the front group, too. In a very fast sprint finish, Barbour threw his bike at the line and nudged out Holloway for the first place finish in 1:50:23. Meyers out sprinted Brown to round out the third place on the podium.
Riders Roger Hatfield and Dick Isherwood, who train together each week, stuck together for most of their 24-mile race. Hatfield picked up the pace on the final return and finished just over one minute ahead of Isherwood in 1:17:50.
The small Sport category covered a 24-mile distance as well. The three riders separated early on, and each one faced the wind and heat alone. Ivan Espinosa was the top finisher in 1:29:35. Bina Gario was second and Valentino Gario was third.
Congratulations to all who raced this weekend…and throughout the season. The races this past weekend wrapped up the 2013 cycling season. The V.I. Cyclists Federation (VICF) presented The Most Improved award to a new cyclist who has shown true determination and drive to improve his riding this season – Joey Swanson. Thanks go to Spicy Grill and the Gario family for donating the award. The VICF Board will be looking for new ways to make the next season even more active. Please consider offering help or suggestions to improve the season.
The Virgin Islands cycling season is now over and the fall triathlon season is just beginning. Go to http://vitf.org for more information or for a schedule of events.

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