30 Mile Shoot Out Road Race, 22 April 2012
Race report provided by President Craig Merren.
After an early hours of thunderstorm and high winds, 10 cyclist started the 30 mile shoot out and a shoot out it was. Braving the weather Steve Abbott (1st) Michael Stomps (2nd) and Perri “Duke Shaft” Merren (3rd) dominated the morning wet roads.
The raced kiced off at 7:51am by Ocean Club after a neutral start from South Sound.
There was a few attempt from Steve Abbott , Perri Merren and Michael Stomps. Abbott, coming back after a nasty fall earlier in the year and seems to have good legs leading up to the May classics, made a move in Pedro area (near or approaching Northward road) with Merren on his backside. This lasted for half mile when the watch maker, Frenchman; Laurent Webber and Stomps pulled along Mario Sanchez, Alton Davis, Miguel Smith, Sheldon Anderson and the Italians, Ercole Musho and Ricardo Capamtini (not sure of his last name). Once Abbott and Merren was caught back in the small gap they made, it was the ever so Mr. persistence Dutchman Stomps who broke away again in Pease Bay area of BT. Perri and Steve pursued after him leading into Frank Sound turn around. Once Stomps was caught (right before FS turn around) the trio kept hammering away after the turn around headed back to South Sound finish line with a 1min 02seconds lead over the watchmaker Webber and his charging group.
The Dutchman kept the pace fluid in the front with a fast healing BCQS rider (Abbott) while Caymans own wonderboy, the not so fit Duke Shaft Merren, just held on drafting to try and seal a win.
The clever Dutchman (Stomps) got a 5 second gap coming out of the last round about (by Super Car Wash) while Abbott and Merren played cat N mouse entering South Sound road junction roundabout. Abbott tried to a few maneuvers, but Merren kept on Abbotts wheel. As Stomps maintained his gap half mile from the finish line, Abbott cranked it up by old crewe rd junction finally shaking off Merren this time with a last kick on the cranks and closed his margins on Stomps in the last 500 meters and claiming the 30-mile Shoot out road race in 1hr 06 min 39 seconds (timing from natural start). Setting an example of what to come in next week’s Cayman Classics 40 Mile Road Race next week Sunday and the whole of May clash.
Filling out the the top five of ten starters was Alton Davis in 4th, Webber 5th, West Bay cycling club team leader Miguel Smith 6th, Mario Sanchez 7th, Ricardo Capamtini 8th finishing out the chasing group lead by Webber and groupies 2min 55sec adrift.
D. N. F
Sheldon Anderson (got a flat) DNF
Ercole Musho – DNF
Awards was held at 12:30p.
The president would like to thank the following.
Pete from Red Cross, Marcus Thompson and his team from Automotive solutions who provided the lead car with flashing lights, Jerome Begot-assistance race director, members of the Water Craft Associations (helping at round abouts) and the entire Watersports committee for sponsoring the event.
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