A new course and brisk winds challenged the 27 cyclists who competed Sunday on a route that took them once, twice or three times, depending on category, over the Christiansted Bypass, giving the name "Triple Bypass" to the course.
The V.I. Cycling Federation race began at Café Kaleidoscope, went over Lowry Hill, then over the bypass, then up Contentment Hill, then continued against the winds of the South Shore Road to the finish at Café Kaleidoscope.
Mark Defour joined the Elite riders category after some time off from racing and helped to push the pace with Glenn Massiah. Four Elite riders hung together until the third lap, when Defour and Massiah dropped David Parris, leaving him to fight the wind alone. They finished in that order in 2:02:30, 2:02:30 and 2:02:52, respectively.
The large Expert group went for a Double Bypass. Deve Barbour, in his first race of the season, decided right from the start that he would lead the race. He rode the entire race alone and finished nearly five minutes ahead of the second and third place finishers, Joey Swanson and James Meyers, in 1:22:02.
The small Sport group was sent off for their one-lap race with the Masters and Women divisions. Jerry Remie posted the fastest Sport time in 44:10, with Joseph Thomas several seconds behind in 44:29 and first-timer Ian Bass was third.
Masters riders, as well as Sport riders, were floored when Jim Simpson, a "part-time Islander" from New Jersey, crushed the entire category (Sport/Masters/Women) in 43:37. Nelson Rojas was the second place Masters finisher and Frank Warden was third.
The lone female competitor, Donna Goetsch, finished in 57:03.
The next race on the VICF schedule is the East End Time Trial at 7 a.m. March 29. The race will begin and finish at Castaways and cover 13 miles, heading in a counter-clockwise direction.
More information is available by calling 1-340-513-2707.
