Eastmond’s big senior moment

EASY FOR EASTMOND: Jamol Eastmond winning the BCU’s season opener from Russell Elcock. (Kenmore Bynoe)

By Kenmore Bynoe | Mon, January 30, 2012 - 12:00 AM

JAMOL EASTMOND rode a masterful race to capture the inaugural Don Stoute Cycling Classic yesterday.

In the Barbados Cycling Union’s first event for 2012, on the Garfield Sobers to Errol Barrow Roundabouts yesterday, Eastmond revealed why he had spent most of 2011 competing above his age as a senior.

Both Eastmond and Russell Elcock were competing officially as seniors for the first time in the season’s opener which attracted 41 riders in the categories of seniors, women, masters 35-49, masters 50-and-over, juniors, juveniles and tinymites.

The cyclists hardly showed any rust from the break as they maintained a pace of 4.49 minutes per lap on the course which was two-thirds uphill.

A number of the seniors like Gregory Downie and Simon Clarke, along with Elcock, set and maintained the challenging pace for almost 45 minutes of the one-hour test. Women’s rider Esther Miller-Rosemond was also up on the pace, nipping at the men’s heels after her main opponent Deidre Mayers dropped out early.

With minutes left in the challenge, Eastmond and Elcock took charge in a commanding fashion to pedal a lap at 4.37 as a light sprinkle of rain started to fall to cool off the circuit.

However, there was no cooling Eastmond, as from 150 yards out, he switched on the boosters to dismiss any perceived final challenge from Elcock.

BCU president Keith Yearwood was very happy with the opening race, noting the riders had completed the opener with consistent times on each lap.

He also indicated that 2012 would be a very active year for cycling.

Honour Roll

Seniors

1. Jamol Eastmond, 2. Russell Elcock, 3. Simon Clarke

Women

1. Esther Miller-Rosemond, 2. Marissa Bradshaw

Juniors

1. Jesse Kelly, 2. Kristin Vanderpool

Masters 35-49

1. Andrew Quimby, 2. Marvin Worrell, 3. Gregory Catwell