Nobody left Sunday’s East End Road Race claiming it was a walk in the park. For the Elite riders, it meant tackling St. Croix’s east end three times over, with two daunting climbs up to Point Udall. As race winner Mat Porporato described it, it turned out to be a “very weird solo race.”
Stephen Swanton faced adversity early on, suffering a flat near Cramer’s Park on the first lap, which caused the Elite group to divide. David Morales opted out after completing the first lap, while Alex Betancourt valiantly tried to maintain the pace. Porporato widened the gap with each lap, ultimately crossing the finish line with a commendable time of 2:27:01, while Betancourt secured the second spot in 2:36:07.
In the 30-mile Expert race, there were no neck-and-neck sprints either. With just five cyclists in the mix, James Bates led the pack around the east end twice, with a climb to Point Udall on the initial lap. He completed the race in 1:43:27. Ted Prosper finished the first lap in second place, closely followed by Norbert “Ghost” Prospere. However, Prospere fell behind on the second lap, allowing Joey Swanson to snatch the third spot. Prosper crossed the finish line in 1:44:27, with Swanson trailing just behind at 1:44:30.
The Sport category boasted the largest group of riders. Sunday saw two cyclists transition into the Sport group: Xander Morales from the Junior division and Yves Abraham from the Masters division. With only one lap, including a challenging climb to Point Udall, there was no room for leisurely pedaling. Twelve-year-old Morales dominated the competition, finishing nearly a minute ahead of his rivals with an impressive time of 58:19, affirming his move to the Sport division as a wise choice. Joseph Thomas secured the second position in 59:15, followed by Guy Augustin in third with a time of 1:01:09.
The Masters, Women and Junior riders competed together, completing one loop around the east end spanning 13 miles. James Matthew emerged victorious in the Masters category with a time of 53:00, while Jody Goodrich claimed the top spot among the women with a time of 58:03. Kolebert Daisley shone brightest in the Junior division, clocking in at 50:31.
Prizes for the top finishers in each category were provided by Island Life Adventures, St Croix’s Bike Shop and Paradise Freight.
The next race on the Virgin Islands Cycling Federation schedule will be the National Guard Road Race on May 5. Please contact 643-5050 for more information.
