Trinidad and Tobago's Njisane Phillip showed exactly why he's the reigning Pan American Cycling Championships sprint champion when he delivered some amazing rides to cop the match sprint title at the 2012 Southern Games at Guaracara Park, Pointe-a-Pierre, on Sunday.
Phillip easily defeated Azikwe Kellar in their semi-final ride-off to set up a showdown with Haseem McLean for gold. And what a final it was.
In their first ride, McLean, the 2010 Southern Games match sprint winner, got the jump on his rival and quickly opened a 50-metre advantage on the back-stretch.
Phillip took up the chase, closing the gap with every rotation of his pedals, but he failed to get there by about half a wheel.
Ride two saw Phillip change tactics by making the first move and pulling away for a comfortable win to send their clash to a third and deciding ride, which turned out to be a repeat of the first ride except for a different outcome.
McLean once again sped into a commanding lead as he sought to outwit the Pan Am champ. But Phillip was having none of it as he quickly wound up his gears and began bearing down on his rival. And with a breathtaking burst of speed he turned what seemed like a hopeless position into victory as he collared McLean mere metres from the finish to prevail by a few centimetres.
In the ride-off for bronze, Kellar topped Adam Alexander in straight rides.
Phillip posted another win on the two-day programme when he took advantage of excellent teamwork by Kellar and Alexander to come over the top and easily beat the Italian pair of Fabio Masotti and Alex Butazzoni in the 2000 metres event for international riders.
Alexander, who won the opening 1500 metres event on Saturday, returned on Sunday to grab a cheeky victory in the Elimination.
He was the only local rider left in the final four after Kellar, Phillip, Varun Maharajh and his brother Joshua all suffered early elimination.
After the final elimination Alexander caught his three remaining rivals trying to recharge their batteries and quickly left them for dead.
Italy's Butazzoni, Marloe Rodman of Jamaica and Austria's Andreas Graf could not respond to Alexander's move and settled for the minor positions in that order.
Stefan Martzer of Austria was the most successful foreign rider with victories in the 3000 and 10,000 metres events, while Butazzoni and Colombia's Jaime Ramirez Bernal had a win apiece.
And Junior Pan Am Cycling Championship-bound Akil Campbell posted two victories over the weekend.
The Rigtech Sonics rider took the 1000 metres event for juvenile cyclists on Saturday and then returned on Sunday to capture the Elimination event in the junior category.
INTERNATIONAL 1500M: 1. Adam Alexander (T&T) 2. Marloe Rodman (Jam) 3. Alex Butazzoni (Italy) 2000M: 1. Njisane Phillip (T&T) 2. Fabio Masotti (Italy) 3. A. Butazzoni (Italy) 4000M: 1. A. Butazzoni (Italy) 2. Jamie Ramirez (Col) 3. A. Alexander (T&T) 8000M: 1. J. Ramirez (Col) 2. F. Masotti (Italy) 3. Jesper Christiansen (Den) 3000M: 1. Stefan Martzer (Austria) 2. A. Alexander (T&T) 3. M. Rodman (Jam) 5000M: 1. F. Masotti (Italy) 2. M. Rodman (Jam) 3. V. Maharajh (T&T) 10000M: 1. S. Martzer (Austria) 2. F. Masotti (Italy) 3. M. Rodman (Jam) ELIMINATION: 1. A. Alexander (T&T) 2. A. Butazzoni (Italy) 3. M. Rodman (Jam) MATCH SPRINT: 1. N. Phillip (T&T) 2. H. McLean (T&T) 3. A. Kellar (T&T) ELITE 1 & 2 1000M: 1. Barry Luces (Bike Smith) 2.Thrieef Smart (Petrotrin) 3. Kerron Bramble (Sonics) 2000M: 1. Warren McKay 2. Rudy Ashton (Team Foundation) 3. T. Smart (Petrotrin) JUVENILES 1000M: 1. Akil Campbell (Sonics) 2. Sei Daniel (Arima Wheelers) 3. Nevin Malco (Team Foundation). JUNIORS 1500M: 1. U. Bourne 2. A. Campbell (Sonics) 3. Justin Roberts (Parkside) ELIMINATION: 1. A. Campbell 2. M. Perreira 3. C. Fraser
-Donstan Bonn
Source: www.trinidadexpress.com