United States-based cycling sensation Joshua Kelly brought home gold in last weekend’s ‘Break the Cycle’ event held by the Miami Cycling Association in Doral, Florida, USA.
The Barbadian, who races for cycling club Miami Blazers, powered home on the final stretch of the 1.5 km Doral Crit course after 90 minutes of gruelling action ahead of Jhoan Paez and Juan Hinestrosa who were right on his heels as he crossed the finish line. He also amassed 106.58 points in the process.
Kelly spoke with the Saturday Sun about the significance of this race and what else is on the horizon for him this year.
“I have a few events coming up that I am preparing for. I’ll be heading to the Tour of Tobago at the end of the month and I plan to be contesting the overall win there. After that, there’s the Tour de Bim, which is the only international cycling race in Barbados. Some really big names will be there and I would love to win that event also. After that is the Caribbean Championships in Guadeloupe, where I plan to redeem myself with a road race and time trial title. Last but not least is our very own national championships at home in November, and for sure I am aiming to once again be atop the podium there,” Kelly said.
The 27-year-old speedster is also eyeing the 2024 Olympics in Paris and is determined to be the number one candidate to be chosen to represent his country. Although he plies his trade abroad, Kelly said he wants to ensure he remains firmly in the minds of the members of the Barbados Cycling Union.
“In terms of my Olympic bid, my aim is to be on a much higher level than any of my local competitors so that there will be no conversation about who will be chosen to be Barbados’ representative. As of right now, no Barbadians have qualified for the Olympics, but I’m sure Barbados will acquire a wild card or two and I hoped to be ranked at number one by then,” the Bajan rider added.
Kelly said he would like to make history for Barbados as the first road racer to qualify for the prestigious games.
