Can Gibbs make it five straight?
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
May 8, 2003
Can local road `King' Dwayne Gibbs make it five in a row?, these questions and more will be answered when local cyclists come under orders on May 17, for the start of the 21st Annual National Sports Commission sponsored-Independence Three- Stage Road Race.
Gibbs who has won the annual 181.3-mile event every year since 1999, is expected to be severely tested by among others; Tyrone Hamilton, Raymond Newton, Paul Cho-Wee-Nam, Wayne DeAbreu, Warren McKay, Leer Nunes, Seon Alves, Jude Bentley and Andrew Reece among others.
Race organiser Hassan Mohammed told Stabroek Sport this year's event will take on an international flavour since several overseas based Guyanese are expected home for the gruelling event.
Mohammed also said cyclists from neighbouring Suriname have also stated an interest in participating.
Hamilton and Newton who are both fresh from the just concluded West Indies versus the World Series which was staged in Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, are expected to give a good account of themselves, having competed against world class riders in the just concluded Series where they both won several medals.
The record time for the event is six hours 23 minutes 14 seconds, set in 1998 by Gibbs and his then club mate Godfrey Pollydore who broke Alouisous Perreira's 1992 record of Seven Hours, 17 minutes 49 seconds (7:17:49).
The two had received bunch times in all three stages. Gibbs however settled for second that year since Pollydore had crossed the finish line almost half a length ahead of him (Gibbs) in all three stages.
In 1999 Gibbs clocked an overall time of 7:34:47, while in 2000, he returned seven hours, three minutes, nine seconds.
In 2001 Gibbs registered 7:30:59 and last year he clocked 7:17:12.
Reece who clocked 7:12:40 last year placed second, while McKay returned 7:12:45 for third.
Hamilton who went into the final stage last year in fourth position, ended fourth overall in 7:12:54, while Cho-Wee-Nam and US based Guyanese Harris Burrowes finished fifth and sixth last year after registering 7:13:12 and 7:15: 12 respectively.
Last year also, McKay broke Gibbs and Pollydore's second stage (Rosignol to Carifesta Avenue) record of 2:43:51 when he clocked 2:42:09. Gibbs finished second and Pollydore third.
In 2001, Gibbs won the first and second stages, while Cho-Wee-Nam finished second in both and ended second overall despite finishing sixth in the final stage Kara Kara, Linden Highway to Homestretch Avenue).
Gibbs also won the first two stages in 1999 and 2000 while Hamilton finished second in the first and second stages in 2000.
