Monday, March 17 2008

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ALEXANDER GIBBON of Corkie's Casuals advanced in the Individual Pursuit...

JOSHUA ALEXANDER whipped the field to take the 30-lap points race as the inaugural 2008 “Barracuda” Track League cycling meet began at Skinner Park, San Fernando on Friday night.

The sizeable crowd on hand witnessed an intriguing battle in the “Bunch/Scratch” race, with Alexander, representing the club Team Foundation, prevailing ahead of the pack.

Barry Luces of Rigtec Sonics, finished second, Shannon Metivier of Madonna Whelers was third-placed and Marc Codrington, also of Sonics finished fourth.

The two-day meet, which ended on Saturday night, was staged under the auspices of the Southampton Wheelers Cycle Club, celebrating their 54th year in cycling. The club decided to honour the legendary national wheelsman Hilton “Barracuda” Mitchell at the event.

In the flying-200 preliminary rounds, Jude Codrington of Sonics had the fastest time of 11.81 seconds, with Winzey Mohammed of Madonna clocking 12.10, Adam Alexander of Team Foundation 12.20 and Dion Codrington of Rigtec Sonics 12.24.

That quartet advanced to the match sprint semi-finals, with the top two contesting the final.

The Alexander brothers Joshua and Adam joined Codrington, Ian Price of Beacon, Haseem McLean of Southclaine and Marlon Rodman of Heatwave in the kieren final.

And in the individual pursuit, Joshua Alexander, Luces, Rodman and Alexander Gibbon of Corkie’s Casuals progressed to the gold medal stage.

Gibbon had a time of three minutes 11.65 seconds, Rodman recorded three minutes 11.95, Joshua Alexander clocked three minutes 13.88 and Luces three minutes 13.91 seconds.

The meet is being held in honour of Mitchell, who competed for Southampton at the 1958 Southern Games, and donned the national colours at the CAC Games, the Pan American Games and the Olympics during the late 1950s.

Mitchell, one of the Trinidad and Tobago’s top cyclists, have been paralysed since January 1959 after an accident at his home in California, Central Trinidad. But he did not let his disability get the better of him, as he participated, with distinction, at Paraplegic Games in Jamaica, Mexico, Canada, Argentina and Scotland.

A sum of $2,500, comprising donations by the supporters, was presented to Mitchell on Friday night, while, himself and a long- serving Southampton member Fitzroy Lyons were both presented with special awards by the organisers.