American Jonny Brown who rode for Miami Blazers yesterday, was crowned the overall winner of the Tobago International Cycling Classic (TICC).
The American, in fact, had two great achievements to be proud of yesterday, he first won the Division One stage to receive a maximum of 25 points and accumulated enough points from stages two and three (12 and 25 points respectively) for an overall total of 62 for the title.
The event, sponsored by a host of corporate citizens and other sponsors, inclusive of the National Gas Company (NGC), the Prime Minister’s Sport and Culture Fund, Bmobile, Montecci Bikes, Econo Car Rentals, Agostini Insurance, Crown Point Hotel, Caribbean Bottlers Limited, Carib Brewery and Brydens etc, saw Brown, pedalling past the finish line as the Division One winner in a time of four hours, 27 minutes and 01.30 seconds (4:27:01.30).
The stage was a 120-kilometre grind that took the riders around the island.
Brown, the winner of the opening Milford Road Circuit on Friday morning who struggled in the second stage on Saturday, was followed in second by Colombian Oscar Pachon, representing Team Raider in a time of 4 hours, 30 minutes and 55,67 seconds, while another Colombian Mateo Garcia of Team Foundation was third, after posting a time of 4:36:35.16.
Pachon took the second position overall with scores of 21, 15, and 23 for a total of 59 points, while Garcia was third overall with a total of 58 points. Gabriel Mendez, the winner of the second stage could only manage a fourth-place finish overall with 55 points.
In Division Two, Venezuela’s Josias Valasquez secured the win in that stage, as well as the overall win.
They were made to contest a 30km ride that the Venezuelan dominated before crossing the finish line in a time of 1 hour, 33 minutes and 18.52 seconds. Guyana’s Andre Greene, riding also for Rigtech Sonics was second in 1:34:59.46 while T&T’s Jadian Neaves (Raiders) was third in 1:34:59.76.
At the prize-giving yesterday, Brown’s Blazers were named the top team, Enrique De Comarmond was voted the top local cyclist as well as the top young rider.
Pachon, despite finishing second overall to Brown, was named the top sprinter of the classic.