MARIGOT--Velo Club de Grand Case’s (VCG) Ever Guerrero Rivera clinched the lead in the overall classification after four stages of thrilling cycle racing to lift the NAGICO trophy at the awards ceremony in Marigot Saturday afternoon.
Top junior rider Alban Clerc (left) with overall classification
winner from VCG, Ever Guerrero Rivera.
The Colombian rider finished in the fastest time of 5 hours 29:48 ahead of VCS’s Olivier Curier in second (5:30:46) and Gwada Biker’s Jean-Marie Poyo third (5:30:47). PDL’s Daniel Junon was fourth overall (5:31:07) and USL’s Jordy Pruneau fifth (5:31:21). Pruneau was the top Under 23 rider.
PDL’s Loïc Laviolette reacts as he crosses the finish line at
the NAGICO office in Marigot to win Sunday’s 120K race.
Sunday’s 120K stage was won by PDL’s Loïc Laviolette who coasted across the finish line alone on Rue de la République followed seconds later by a photo finish sprint with VCS’s Willliam Bondot taking second, USL’s Jordy Pruneau in third, VCG’s Alban Clerc in fourth and USL’s Errin Warren fifth. Finish times were not immediately available.
A sensational performance by 17-year-old Alban Clerc from VCG’s B team who finished 15th overall earned him top junior rider of the race.
“I’m very happy,” said Clerc who was immediately surrounded by the media after finishing so well on Sunday. “I wanted to compare my level with these top riders from Guadeloupe. It’s the most important race I’ve done so far.”
High profile VCG riders Ludovic Turpin, the 2012 Tour of Guadeloupe winner, and two-time winner of the NAGICO race Nicolas Dumont remained fairly low key, perhaps wanting to work more in a supportive role to the younger riders.
Indeed Dumont sacrificed his race on Sunday after giving his bike to team mate Gregory Errin when the latter broke his bike frame in a fall five kilometres away from the finish. At that point Errin was in the running for Best Climber and would have lost it had he not been able to continue.
VCG’s overnight leader on Friday, Dean Hodge, was not able to keep the leader’s jersey which passed on to the winner of the Saturday morning 80K race, PDL’s Daniel Junon.
Gwada Biker’s Jean-Marie Poyo was second and VCG’s Ever Rivera third. Rivera went on to improve his overall standing by winning the afternoon’s 6K time trial from French Quarter to a lung-busting finish at the top of Morne O’Reilly, La Savane.
VCG’s Ludovic Turpin was second and Gwada Bikers Juan Murillo third.
For Dean Hodge it was a mission accomplished, finishing down in the pack a still respectable 25th overall, to make up for the disappointment of not finishing Sunday’s race last year.
“My goal was to win the Causeway time trial and I did that,” he said afterwards. “Saturday I had a bit of bad luck having to change a wheel so I lost contact with the front and today the rain shower caused some confusion and trying to keep the momentum. But overall it was good race for me, good training.”
The pack climbs out of Coralita to Oyster Pond during the early stages of the 80K race on
Saturday morning.
The Best Climber award went to VCG’s Gregory Errin on 52 points, VCS’s Luis Sablon was second (34 points), and Jordy Pruneau third (20 points). Best Team went to Pedale du Levant (PDL).
Special mention must be made for the heroic participation of two riders from the Dutch side at this high level of competition, Mark Maidwell and Ronan Garnier, riding for Mo Trouble in a team that seemed to be a mix of Mo Trouble, Double Trouble (Anguilla) and Team JCO.
According to the overall results, Maidwell finished 30th overall, completing all four stages of the race. It was not known how Ronan Garnier fared by the end.
Préfète Anne Laubies, Vice-President Ramona Connor, Territorial Councillor for Sports, Alain Gros-Desormeaux, Tourism Office President Jeanne Rogers-Vanterpool, as well as NAGICO Director of the Marigot branch, David Menissier, and BDAF Bank Manager Nicolas Pommier, were on hand to assist at the trophy presentation.
Fifty two riders from mostly Guadeloupe teams contested the three day event.
Results from the Cadet and other children’s races run in the afternoon were not available by press time.
