While winding down the 2021 cycling season on St. Croix, the Virgin Islands Cycling Federation (VICF) planned a two-day test of speed, fitness and strategy. Competing in the VI Championship Time Trial Race on Saturday morning, 15 cyclists geared up for a challenging individual time trial race on the airport loop, facing strong wind and rough roads. Three Elite cyclists completed four laps of the 6-mile course (24 miles) and 12 cyclists completed two laps (12 miles).
Elite cyclist Stephen Swanton hit it hard off the starting line and posted a 16:33 first lap. He settled in and clocked consistent lap times to reach the finish line in first place in a time of 1:09:51, just 31 secs ahead of second place finisher David Morales. Fresh off the plane from Alaska, Glenn Massiah finished just over 5 minutes behind in third place.
There was only one rider in the Expert category. Ralph Bartlett completed his two-lap race in 39:43. The Sport division was led by Luis Martinez, who posted sub-20-minute laps for a total time of 38:49. Ted Prosper was second in 41:27; Terrence Jones was third.
Impressing the field with his speed and experience, Masters rider Chris Dorsey, age 67, nailed the two-lap course in 37:30. James Meyers was second in 38:58 and Luke Defour was third.
The most impressive ride of the morning was set by Robin Seila, who had the fastest average time for the combined laps, including the Elite category. Seila’s total time was 34:51. Laverne Fredericksen was second in 40:47. LNL Publishing sponsored the race and provided trophies for the top three finishers in five categories.
Due to the threat of stormy weather on Sunday morning, the VI Championship Road Race was postponed until next Sunday, Aug 22. The race will feature four distances: 15 miles, 30 miles, 40 miles and 51 miles. Race-day registration will be held from 6:15-6:45 a.m. at the former Cafe Kaleidoscope on St. Croix’s Southside Road.
For more information, call 643-6420.
