Barbadian cyclists based in Trinidad with the Heatwave Club are seeking to continue their good form in Tobago this week in the Tobago International Classic.
Following an outstanding win by veteran Philip Clarke last week, when he slammed an international field in the Republic Day Classic in Port of Spain, Heatwave coach Edward Watson said they were looking forward to another good team performance in Tobago.
The Tobago Classic runs from Wednesday to Sunday and will include four individual circuit races. The biggest event, to be staged on the final day, will be the internationally-rated Tour of Tobago, which will test riders over 140 kilometres on varying road conditions.
Watson said the Bajan riders, especially brothers Jesse, Joshua and Jacob Kelly who are all sponsored by Massy United Insurance, were performing well and the club was looking forward to another huge team effort.
The coach said that in the Republic Day 30-lap criterium, the 39 year-old Clarke made up 300 metres in the final lap to stun the field and thousands of spectators.
“It was a good team effort with everybody making strategic contributions,” he said.
“Jesse [Kelly] held out well in a competitive field and was leading with five laps to go and controlling the race before James Hadeed made the last pull and created the space for Clarke to execute on the last lap.”
Joshua Kelly won the junior race on Republic Day, and took every lap prize, before joining his senior teammates in the main event.
Watson reported that the Kelly brothers had shown tremendous improvement in every area over the past year and had emerged as serious contenders in the major events.
Jamol Eastmond and Russell Elcock are the other Barbadian members of Heatwave.
Riders from Jamaica, Antigua, United States, Guyana, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, the Netherlands, the Dominican Republic took part in the Republic Day Classic and a large international field is also expected this week in Tobago. (PR)
