The big boys are back.
And that could spell big trouble for the rest of cycling.
Reigning road race king Darren Matthews is set to make his long-awaited season debut as part of a star-studded senior field in today’s 40-lap circuit race showdown at the Garrison course from 2:30 p.m.
The year’s fifth road race marks a much-expected return to the historic circuit following a more than two-year hiatus since Simon Clarke won the 2010 season-opener.
It’s also the first time all season that the senior division will feature a full-strength line-up, with Matthews training in Colombia earlier in the year, before he and Jamol Eastmond travelled to Argentina for the Pan Am championships.
Matthews will be returning home with more than just his bike though, coming in with a lot of form after winning a scratch race bronze in Buenos Aires while breaking a 20-year-old individual pursuit record.
This was just weeks after the national time trial champ became the first foreign rider to win the 3k Colombian Criterium Classic from a field of 97 world-rated cyclists.
But he just might find this locally-based field equally as tough – if not tougher – with Clarke, a two-time national champ, finally breaking his three-race drought this season with a win in St George last week.
And the flat Garrison terrain will more than favour Clarke’s technique, especially if no one is able to make an early break.
Eastmond too is coming in with a bit of form, having won the year’s first two road races before narrowly missing out on a treble when a mechanical failure cost him a win on the home stretch of the third race.
Yet, no one will seek redemption more than Clarke’s St Philip partner Mario Forde, who twice has surrendered massive leads following similar mechanical failures.
One-time dominant junior Russell Elcock is also chomping at the bit, having finished in the runner-up spot in each of the previous four races thus far.
Seasoned veteran Greg Downie and Ross Callender have yet to feature this year and will look to finally make their mark in this circuit race.
Once again, Stuart Maloney, Esther Miller-Rosemond, Jesse Kelly and Ajani Miller start their respective masters’, women’s, juniors’ and tiny mite divisions as heavy pre-race favourites following dominant performances all season long.
The juniors are also set to travel 40 laps while the masters, novices and women will ride for 35.