Testori takes top spot in Dew Cycling Classics

By Cayman Sports Buzz
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Updated: 30 May 2017

Michael Testori crosses the finish in style.

Michael Testori entered the final race of the Dew Cycling Classics on Sunday (28 May) knowing that while he did not have the edge in the standings, he would be riding in a race that suits his strength. On the day, he did enough to wrestle the series title from Steven Abbott, who held a tie-breaker entering the race.

Riders spent the first 45 minutes completing the circuit on the Esterley Tibbetts Highway and picking up sprint points before a three-lap sprint to the finish. The Batabano Circuit Race lived up to the showdown it was billed to be but most of the top riders were left behind when a pack of five cyclists broke away from the main group.

Michael Testori lifts the trophy.

Laurent Weber, Chris Sutton, Alejandro Perez Ross, Daniel Cummings and Gabe Rabes opened a two-minute lead over the other 25 riders with Testori, Abbott and Pedro Ramos, their closest rival at the top of the standings, behind.

“The plan was to escape from the beginning but nobody let me go. I was a marked man from the start,” Testori recalled.

With no chance of catching the leaders, 23-year-old simply needed to hold off Abbott and Ramos, which set up a dash to the line. With about 200 metres left, Testori went for it and finally broke free, throwing his fist into the air as he crossed the line.

“I train my sprinting and I’m generally known for it, so I figured I’d go early in the sprints and maintain 40 miles per hour, create a gap, and hopefully it would work and it did, so I’m quite happy,” he told CaymanSportsBuzz.com.

The first elite rider to the line was Alejandro Perez Ross, though he finished behind Weber and Sutton, both of whom ride in the Super Masters category for cyclists over 50. The 28-year-old was visiting from Cuba.

“It’s been great. I like to have fun at the races, the competition is great. It’s not about winning the first place all the time,” he said and went on to explain why he could be seen smiling throughout the race. “I like to smile, I like to have fun. I think that’s the point of sports,” he said.

: Laurent Weber was first to finish the circuit race.

: Rachael Gooden storms to the line.

At the end of the four-race series, Testori finished with 35 points, two ahead of Steven Abbott for the title among elite riders. Ramos was third with 24 points.

Darrel Evans was the comfortable winner among category two riders, while Chris Bailey edged both Yazzer Abdullah and Cameron McWatt by a point in category three. Jonathan Webster won category four, while Daniel Cummings won by a two-point margin over Michele Smith in the Masters category and Laurent Weber took the Super Masters title in a tight finish with Chris Sutton.

: Chris Bailey claimed the top spot in Cat. 3.

: Jonathan Webster was consistent in Cat. 4.

Rachael Gooden was the women’s series winner, while Josh Weaver, consistently the youngest rider on the circuit, was the youth winner. See full final standings for the different divisions here:May Series Dew Classic Final Points Standing by Class

Cayman Islands Cycling Association president Craig Merren thanked CEL Distributors for their sponsorship of the series and said there were signs the sport is picking up speed. “This builds momentum throughout the cycling community and more people are coming out,” he said.

: Daniel Cummings was the Masters champion.

: DJ Evans (centre) won Cat. 2 in the series.

The next race on the association’s calendar is the 2017 Championship 57-mile Road Race scheduled to take place on Sunday, 11 June starting at 7:00 a.m. in front of the Clifton Hunter High School, Frank Sound Road.