New Zealand's Joel Yates made it a perfect debut ride at the eighth edition of the Beacon Cycling On the Avenue Series when he rode away with the 35-lap main event on Wednesday night.
Riding with four other riders in the lead group, the 21-year-old Yates, who had some impressive results on US soil with a series of hot results at the Gateway Cup as a guest rider for the team in 2017, was able to lap a peloton of about 20 cyclists.
He got great tactical help from his Heatwave SCC team-mates to take top spot in a sprint finish to the line in front of Mike's Bikes on Ariapita Avenue, Port-of-Spain, just ahead of fellow international riders, among them last year's winner, 39-year-old Cuban-born American Frank Travieso (Pharmaco), Colombian Bryan Gomez (Raiders) and T&T's Akiel Campbell of PSL.
A fourth-placed finisher at the National Championship Road Race in New Zealand earlier this year, Yates, who failed to finish his last event on US soil, the Winston Salem Cycling Classic in May, said he was very happy to be in Trinidad and Tobago to have the chance to compete in front of an enthusiastic crowd.
Completing the top nine finishers were USA's Kyle Kirby (Mac Pro), Scott Mc Gill (Heatwave), and Blake Anton (Mac Pro), Venezuelan Clever Martinez and his Raiders' clubmate Cesar Marte of Dominican Republic.
Speaking afterwards, Yates, who is considered a team player whose strength and discipline are key to his medal chances, said, "It's my first time being here in Trinidad and I was super impressed with the crowd and the music has been great also.
"All the Trinidad crowds have also been super for bike racing support and I have so many people to thank, inclusive of the Heatwave team and all their other sponsors, the Costa family for putting me up, as they have been like my own family taking care of me, which has been awesome and also my team-mates, mom and dad and I will definitely come back next year."
Asked about his approach to the event, Yates replied, "From the start of the race my plan was to force a breakaway group.
"I wanted to be on the move and I managed to get there (lap 10) with four other riders and they were riding strong as well. However, towards the end I didn't really want to lap up with the peloton, because I didn't really wanted to take a lap on the field," Yates said.
"So I was kind of taking it easy and thinking about maybe attacking the group later on, but a few of the guys were pretty motivated about lapping up.
"In the end, I had to reassess the strategy and tell my team-mates to give me a good lead out and then from there they just had to stay the job and I just had to finish it off."
RESULTS
JEEP Two Laps Sprint (International/Invitational)
1. Alberto Ramos - (Raiders)
2. Kyle Kirby - (Mac Pro One)
3. Scott Mc Gill - (Heatwave)
4. Caesar Marte - Raiders)
5. Jamol Eastmond - (Heatwave)
Beacon 35 Laps Open/ International/Elite 1 & 2/ Invitational
1. Joel Yales - (Heatwave/New Zealand)
2. Frank Travieso - (Pharmaco/USA)
3. Bryan Gomez - (Raiders/Colombia)
4. Akiel Campbell - (PSL/T&T)
5. Kyle Kirby - (Mac Pro/USA)
6. Scott Mc Gill - (Heatwave/USA)
7. Blake Anton - (Mac Pro/USA)
8. Clever Martinez - (Raiders/Venezuela)
9. Cesar Marte - (Raiders/Dom Republic)
T&T Main Event
1. Akil Campbell - (PSL)
2. Enrique De Comarmond - (National Junior Champion)
3. Joshua Alexander (Readers)
NLCB Division Two (15 Laps)
1. D'Angelo Harris - (Rigtech Sonics)
2. Zion Pollidore) - Rigtech Sonics)
3. Nathan Alexander - (Team Goods)
4. Nicholai Ho - (Breakaway)
5. Ronell Woods (PSL)
Top 40+
1. Marlin W. Roach - (Raiders)
Top Junior
1. D'Angelo Harris - (Rigtech Sonics)
Top 50+
1. Dirk Tidd - (Raiders)
Women
1. Alexi Costa - (Heatwave)
2. Kaya Cattoose - (Pharmaco)