Smith takes cycling crown

By Cayman Sports Buzz
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Updated: 27 October 2016

Michele Smith claimed the Cayman Islands Cycling Association’s 2016 season crown on Sunday, 23 October, after a strong campaign in which he won three races.

Entering with a lead in the standings entering the final race – the Cost U Less Circuit Race – Smith, a two-time Olympian, needed only a solid showing to hold off any contenders. However, he pressed for the win but wasn’t perturbed crossing the finish line behind only Michel Testori.

“It started the way I wanted it to. I didn’t really read it right in the last two laps. I was on the wrong wheel, so I didn’t end up where I wanted to be but second is good,” the champion cyclist told CaymanSportsBuzz.com.

Smith (centre), Gibson Edwards (left) and David Cooke (right) were the top 3 at the end of the season.

Smith, 47, was consistently in the lead pack, with Testori being out front quite a bit as the 17 cyclists made their way around the 1.3-mile circuit. For Testori, his intentions were clear in only his second race of the season.

“The breakaway started pretty early. I tried to attack two or three times but they closed me down pretty quickly. So, when it was five laps to go, I sat in and didn’t push too hard and then with one lap to go, I made sure I was in the top three positions,” he said.

“One guy tried to make the corner pretty quick. I stayed behind him and then overtook him on the corner. I took the corner at 33 miles per hour, which is pretty sketchy, but if you take the corner at that speed first, you’re guaranteed the win,” Testori added.

Testori pulls away from the pack as he heads to the finish line.

Steven Abbott finished third after missing three of the last four races and did not finish the other. Cebert Wood was top of the Open B category. Gibson Edwards was the first across the line of the Open C cyclists. He was a consistent performer throughout the year and finished the season in second place overall behind Smith. He is likely to move up a class.

Jerome Ameline, who won the previous race, did not compete on Sunday. He finished the season one spot off the podium behind David Cooke.

The final top 10 season standings:

Michele Smith
Gibson Edwards
David Cooke
Jerome Ameline
John Paul Ramos
Rachel Gooden (Women’s champion)
Josh Weaver
Laurent Weber
Mark Macinas
Pedro Ramos

Gibson Edwards finished the year in 2nd place after being consistent all season.

Smith, who represented the Cayman Islands at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics in Seoul and Barcelona, said he keeps cycling for the love of the sport and to keep his fitness level up. His advice to youngsters interested in the sport is to give it a try.

“It’s a great sport. It’s pretty stuff but it’s rewarding. Back in the day, when I did it competitively from 1984 to 1992, I got to see the world through cycling. It’s an opportunity for young cyclists to see the world.”

Meantime, Testori, who appears to have a bright future in the saddle, is turning his attention to the Cayman Islands Triathlon. “That’s what I have been focusing on and training for…just trying to shed some weight for the triathlon on November 6^th. We’ll have to see how I’ll do with my running,” he said as he got set to slip on his running shoes and put the work in.