New venue, same dominance.
Trinidad and Tobago’s cyclists put up another strong showing on the second day of the Easter International Cycling/Para Cycling Grand Prix, this time at the Arima Velodrome, following an impressive opening day at Skinner Park on Good Friday.
The national team-- featuring Jadian Neaves, Ryan D’Abreau, Tariq Woods, Liam Trepte, Danell James, Akil Campbell, Zion Pulido, and Jelani Nedd—put on a commanding performance in front of a partisan home crowd.
Following on from his triple gold-winning performance on the Skinner Park grass track, on Friday, teenage sensation Jadian Neaves continued in fine form on the switch to the concrete circuit in Arima. The 19-year-old bagged two more wins; claiming top honours in both the Elite & International Men’s points race and the Elimination event.
CLAIMED GOLD IN SCRATCH EVENT: Liam Trepte
Although Neaves faltered in the Scratch race, finishing eighth, teammate and national champion Liam Trepte stepped up to take gold. And in the keirin, 31-year-old veteran Kwesi Browne led a local sweep of the podium.
Meanwhile, among the women, the United States reigned supreme in the Elite & International category. Lily Kendall led an American sweep in the Elimination, ahead of compatriots Reagan Pattishall and Elizabeth Harden. T&T’s Cheyenne Awai placed just off the podium in fourth.
And Harden later claimed gold in the points race, with Pattishall and Kendall following her home to complete an American sweep. In the women’s keirin, however, it was T&T’s turn to shine.
Phoebe Sandy powered to victory, followed closely by teammate Adriana Seygajat, while Suriname’s Tachana Dalger claimed bronze.
Among the day’s headline performances, Neaves continued to impress. He outpaced American Bradley Green to claim the points race, with Akil Campbell adding to T&T’s medal tally, picking up the bronze.
Neaves then stormed to gold in the Elimination, leading a local 0ne-two-three with Campbell in second and Trepte third.
But Trepte wasn’t done yet, he took gold in the Scratch, edging out Americans Luke Fetzer and Green, while in the keirin, it was another local podium sweep with Browne bagging gold ahead of Danell James and Ryan D’Abreau.
The three-day Easter Grand Prix concluded last night at the National Cycling Centre in Couva.
