Chris Ghiorse opens, closes cycling season with victory

BY DEAN GREENAWAY

 Chris Ghiorse ended the BVI Cycling Federation regular season the way he started it by winning Sunday’s 35K time trial. The race went from Clarence Thomas Ltd. to French Man’s Cay and returned via Port Purcell Roundabout.  Ghiorse who said it was and ‘ideal speed day’ was the only rider to crack the 50 minute barrier and recorded a time of 49 minutes and 19 seconds, in leading four others under an hour.

“I went easy in both directions because of safety, the speed bumps and all the traffic and the road was wet in Sea Cows Bay,” said Ghiorse who rode 16th in the field of 21 riders that went off in one minute intervals. “But, today was as a very good day to turn out fast times because the wind was almost non existent. I went down and came back nearly at the same speed. Overall, I averaged about 25.2 miles per hour and going down, I was a little over 26 and coming back I was around 24. But, it was a good race.” Ghiorse was impressed with the performance of second place finisher Neil Thomas. “Man, he really rode well today,” Ghiorse noted.

Thomas said a time trial is his kind of race. “It’s me against myself and the clock and not everybody. But, I had a point to prove. In Venezuela I had mechanical problems and a flat he said of his last time trial race. “Some people felt they beat me fair and square. Too bad they didn’t show up today to get his share of the licks too. But that’s OK. We’ll meet again.”

Visitor Jean Pierre Bacle, competing in only his third race all of them time trials, said he enjoyed the race in which he placed third. “I enjoyed the group, the race and the ride,” he said. “Neil has improved a lot,” he too noted. “Of course those wheels helped.”

Conrad “Manny” Emmanuel said he has been seeing improvements in the riders over the past year. “When you come out in a race like this and you are not in condition you suffer like me for example,” Emmanuel said. “It was really a rough race and it proved that you have to be practicing to get results. You have to be out there training and training hard to compete with these guys are great especially Neil. I must congratulate him because he did a great ride today and surprised me. I was trying to go hard hoping that he wouldn’t catch up with me but when I look back he was right there.”

Federation president David Thomas—who placed sixth overall—said it was a great race but it was hard. “It is one thing to have a race down to West End and back when you a group of 6-10 people and then it’s a different thing when it’s you and you alone against the elements,” Thomas said. “You can’t draft when a guy goes past you and you have to try to motivate yourself. But I think it was a great way to end the season. We had a turnout of 21 which was really good and everyone seemed to have enjoyed this time trail.”

Final results: 1. Chris Ghiorse, 49 minutes and 19 seconds. 2. Neil Thomas, 52.21. 3. Jean Pierre Bacle, 54:44. 4. Conrad Emmanuel, 57:42. 5. Darel Christopher Sr. 57:52. 6. David Thomas, 1:00.52. 7. Jim Cullimore, 1:01.12. 8. Ray Warmouth, 1:01.18. 9. Steve Marsh, 1:04.49. 10. Simon Cook, 1:04.49. 11. Anthony Spencer, 1:04.49. 12. Mark Mckenzie, 1:05.44. 13. Glenroy Forbes, 1:05.58. 14. Ruben Mingo, 1:06.38. 15. Charles Peaker, 1:10.31. 16. Sam Tucker, 1:11.30. 17. Olympic Fahie, 1:12.02. 18. Darel Christopher Jr. 1:21.00. 19. Garvin Singh, 1:24.47. 20. Mara Alido, 1:28.24. Dnf. Tom Merrigan.