Jamaican Marloe Rodman narrowly edged two-time British National Road Race Champion Jeremy Hunt to win the $10,000 first prize in the 14-Lap main event of the Beacon T&T Cycling Festival at the Queen's Park Savannah on Thursday night. The two riders spent the last 500m of the race sprinting neck and neck before crossing the line within a metre of each other and sending the 1000-strong crowd into a frenzy. Rodman's final time of one hour, ten minutes and 39.6 seconds was slightly slower than last year's winner, Walter Perez of Argentina, who clocked 1:10:14.21.
German Henner Rondel and Austrians Andreas Graf and Werner Rienbenbauer rounded out the top five respectively while seventh place Gene Samuel collected $2000 for being the first local and $1000 for being the first Master. The top junior was Akiel Campbell, who picked up $1,000 for his efforts, while Rienbenbauer won $5000 for the People's Prime. Following the race, Rodman said he was elated with the result. "Going up against these guys from all over the world was a lot of pressure, but I just waited for the right time to make my move. The first part of the race was the hardest because everybody was strong but they gradually started to wear down and down. It was really hard but if I knew if I could endure to the finish, I could come out on top and with two laps to go, Hunt pushed ahead and I followed him."
Samuel, a third place finisher in 2006, said he felt he could have done better. "Although I did well, I'm a bit disappointed because I made a miscalculation and missed the break in the last two laps. I was on every break in the nine laps before that and I was feeling very strong out there. I could have been there in the end." He added that the race had moved at a slower pace than in the years past. "I think most of the guys were maybe suffering a bit of jet lag." In other results, German Mathais Stumpf won the Power Sprint, Scotland's Kayleigh Brogan took the Ladies' Two-Lap title, Akiel Campbell edged Marcelle Periera for in Juvenile Two-Lap crown and Ronald Peters won the Over 50 Masters Two-Lap.
Results
Power Sprint (open)
1. Mathais Stumpf (Germany) - $2000
2. Ben Kersten (Australia) - $1000
3. Thrieef Smart (T&T) - $800
4. Ako Kellar (T&T) - $600
Ladies 2 Laps
1. Kayleigh Brogan (UK) - $1000
2. Paula Ousa (Columbia) - $600
3. Emma Baird (UK) - $400
4. Dahlia Palmer (Jamaica) - $200
Juvenile 2 Laps
1. Akiel Campbell - $400
2. Marcelle Periera - $200
Masters 50+ 2 Laps
1. Ronald Peters - $400
2. Kent Luces - $200
3. Kenny Young - $175
Main Event 14 Laps (open)
1. Marloe Rodman (Jamaica) - $10,000
2. Jeremy Hunt (UK) - $6000
3. Henner Rodell (Germany) - $4000
4. Andreas Graf (Austria) - $2000
5. Werner Riebenbauer (Austria) - $1000
6. Philip Clarke (Barbados) - $550
7. Gene Samuel (T&T) - $450
8. King Eittiene (T&T) - $350
Main Event Special Prizes
Juniors
1. Akiel Campbell - $1000
2. Kwesi Browne - $600
3. Justin Roberts - $400
Masters 40+
1. Gene Samuel - $1000
2. Guy Costa - $600
3. Christopher Gill - $400
Caribbean Rider
1. Marloe Rodman - $2000
Trinidad Rider
1. Gene Samuel - $2000
People's Prime
Werner Riebenbauer - $5000
