T&T’s Phillip to defend Easter Grand Prix title (13/04/11)

Source: www.guardian.co.tt

Some 150 cyclists from 13 countries will gear up to compete in this year’s Easter Grand Prix, which will take place at the Arima Velodrome from April 22-23 and Skinner Park, San Fernando on April 24. This was announced during a press conference at Mike’s Bikes on Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook yesterday. T&T’s best riders will be going up against opponents from Argentina, Barbados, Canada, Columbia, Guyana, Austria, Suriname, Germany, Denmark, Jamaica, USA and Venezuela. Last year’s Grand Prix’s top international cyclist Njisane Phillip will return from his training base in the USA to defend his title against an international field lead by German Mathais Stumpf, who won the match sprint during the Southern Games in Guaracara Park over the weekend.

Other locals on the card will include Pan American gold medallist Christopher Sellier—currently ranked 20th in the world in the kilometre—Haseem McLean, brothers Joshua and Adam Alexander, double Pan Am Junior silver medallist Quincy Alexander, Kwesi Browne and Varun Maharaj. In all there will be 15 male and 14 female international races, seven category-one races and six races each in the category two, category three, category four, Veterans Over 40, Over 50 and Over 60, Junior, Junior, Juvenile and Tinymites. Newly appointed coach of the national cycling team Desmond Dickie said  he was looking forward to seeing how T&T’s talent fared against their international opponents.“I think the Grand Prix is very important because we have a young group of cyclists who are excited to get involved in international competition, following in the footsteps of men like Roger Gibbons, Gene Samuel and Michael Phillips.”

President of the T&T Cycling Federation Rowena Williams added that the organisation had decided to stage the event in two venues so that fans from different areas of the country would have an opportunity to witness top-level cycling. Phillip, then 19, won the Blue Ribbon Match Sprint, 2000m and 1000m races during last year’s Prix to gain the top award. Other winners in their respective categories included Team Trek’s Phillip Clarke (category one), Petrotrin’s Thireef Smart (category two), Humming Bird’s Rocky Hosein (Over 40), Sonics’ Kent Luces (Over 50), Southcline’s Godfrey Cline (Over 60) Madonna’s Quincy Alexander (Juniors) and Arima Wheelers’ Joy Abbigail John (Junior Women). The event will be held in honour of the late former President Sir Ellis Clarke, a long-time supporter of the sport of cycling.