Cycling’s top gun will be taking flight today.
Darren Matthews is expected to make his first local appearance for the year this evening in St George as the Barbados Cycling Union’s road race season shifts to the 5.5 kilometre Constant course.
The gifted 22-year-old should prove the highlight of a star-studded senior field that will be without the travelling Jamol Eastmond but is expected to include former national champ Jason Perryman, the fast-rising Stuart Maloney and time trial record holder Russell Elcock.
It will be Matthews’ first race since his appearance at February’s Pan American Cycling Championships in Mexico, where he just missed out on another medal in the scratch race after slamming his national record in the individual pursuit.
While serving as his first local race of the season, the 20-lap event might also be his last as he is expected to return to Colombia to train for next month’s Pan American Cycling Championships’ road race in Mexico before joining Start Trigon Cycling Team in Belgium.
This race will also be Brandon Wilkie’s last for the year before he joins Matthews in Colombia for a two-month training stint.
The event is slated to start outside St George Secondary School at 2:30 p.m. and will feature cyclists in the senior, women, junior, masters, over-50s, juvenile, tiny mite and novice categories. (JM)
