The Virgin Islands Cycling Federation (VICF) introduced a new, challenging race to the schedule on Sunday, the Lime Tree Bay Circuit Race, which was held on the newly paved Hope Road in front of the refinery on St. Croix.
Elite cyclists took to the line first, heading west to the turnaround cone at Estate Blessing. On the return, spectators had a good view down the long stretch of how the race would unfold with each 2.6-mile lap. The entire field of seven riders hung together for the first two laps. By lap six, Joey Swanson and Robin Seila dropped off the back and worked together to maintain an even pace behind Sue Brown and David Parris, who were then behind the leaders by one minute.
Front riders Quintin Chiapperino and Stephen Swanton dropped the hammer on Morgan Theophane on lap nine and jumped one minute forward by the bell lap. Chiapperino finished the ten-lap race in 1:16:28, just a half of a wheel ahead of Swanton. Theophane finished in third place in 1:17:37. Both Elite female riders finished strong; Brown crossed the line in 1:20:07 and Seila finished in 1:20:53.
The Expert group hit a hard pace right from the start of their 15.6-mile race. A core group of Dominic Pugliese, Ian Collins, Mikey Dizon-Bumann and newcomer Scott Marusa blazed through each lap together, dropping Jerry Remie on lap 3, who was the final rider to hang on. Confusion about the laps led to a course deviation, and, ultimately, Pugliese was disqualified. Marusa came through the finish line unchallenged in a time of 43:49; Collins was second in 44:31; Dizon-Bumann was third in 45:40. Laverne Fredericksen was the lone female rider and finished in 57:23.
The Sport category had an even field of men and women for their 10.4-mile race. Yves Abraham and Alvin Thomas duked it out on all four laps and finished with Abraham in first place, just one second ahead of Thomas in 35:06. Garfield Ferdinand was third in 37:24. Judy Gario lead the female race on lap 1, until Megan Lambert caught up to her on lap 2. Lambert held her lead in the four-lap race and finished in 42:49. Gario was second and Angela Cherkis was third.
Mason Lambert, a fourth grader at GHCDS, rode alone in the Junior category and finished his 5.2-mile race in 21:19.
The next cycling race, Donald’s Challenge, will be held at 7 a.m., Sunday, March 12.
For more information, call 332-6282.