The third event in the Cayman Challenge Cycle Series takes to the roads of Grand Cayman this weekend.
It is from Sunday to Monday and the event, known as the Tour of Grand Cayman Beatman Ebanks Memorial race, kicks off with a pre-race pasta party at Abacus on Saturday.
The real competition starts on Sunday with a 10 mile individual time trial. The event, starting at 7am from Cayman International School, will test the speed of the cyclists as they set off at one minute intervals, with the fastest cyclist taking the leader’s jersey.
The out and back route will take competitors out along the Esterly Tibbetts highway and on to West Bay Road at the site of the former Courtyard Marriott, from where cyclists will head to the turnaround point at Sir John A Cumber Primary School.
However, the most decisive racing is likely to take place on Monday, when the cyclists take on a 70 mile mass start road race winding through the districts of Grand Cayman.
Cyclists will start from Hollywood Theatres and head out to Grand Harbour along West Bay Road and South Sound with a neutral zone until the group passes Lantern Point. From there cyclists will head out to North Side via Frank Sound Road before turning down the Queen’s Highway to East End and back to George Town.
From there, the route takes the cyclists up West Bay Road and out to North West Point and the Turtle Farm before heading back along Watercourse Road, Hell Road and Town Hall Road and back in the direction of George Town along West Bay Road. The finish line will be located on Lawrence Boulevard.
The 7am start should allow cyclists to complete the event before it gets too hot, which will be a good thing as the more dedicated racers will want to recover before the criterium scheduled to take place around Cayman International School at 5.30pm. There will also be a mountain bike race set to take place at the same time as the road race, with the start scheduled for 9.30am.
After the criterium, the racer with the lowest cumulative time for the three events will be judged the winner. Cyclists are also encouraged to enter teams of four cyclists, as the team with the lowest total time for the event will walk away with the team prize.
The criterium will form the centre piece of the Velo Festival which will take place at Cayman International School from 3pm on Monday. There will be numerous events to keep the family entertained, with a bouncing castle, face painting, and even kids’ sprint races.
The kids’ races will start from 4pm, with events for children from six to nine years old, nine to 12 years old, and 12-15 years old. The youngsters will then be able to see top local cyclists take on visiting competitors as they race around the school for 45 minutes plus three laps.
Lending some additional lustre to the event will be the presence of a team from Endurance Cycling Club in Jamaica, as well as the cycling team that will represent Cayman at the Island Games later this year.
Race organiser Barry Jones of 53//11 Crankers Cycling Club is very excited about the event. He said: “As this is the final event in the series there will be other firsts for the club. It’s been a lot of hard work but very rewarding.
“This is the start of bigger things to come for cycling especially from the club. I just want to expose people to the sport that I love which just happens to be the best sport in the world. Cycling is back.”
The race is sponsored by Guavaberry Marketing, Camana Bay and Cayman Airways, and will benefit the Cayman Heart Fund, in memory of Beatman Ebanks, one of the stalwarts of the Cayman cycling scene, who passed away in 2006 due to heart disease.
Online registration for the event is available through caymanactive.com and will close on Friday 10 June. There will also be a registration opportunity at Abacus in Camana Bay from 4.30pm to 6.30pm on Friday. The entry fee is $15 per event, or $35 for all three road events. All those who pre-enter for at least one of the events will qualify for the free pasta party on Saturday 11 June. Late entry is available on race day at a $5 penalty. The kids events are free to enter.
For more information, e-mail [email protected] or visit caymanactive.com.
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