ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA CYCLING FEDERATION

Antigua and Barbuda Cycling Association resumes their racing calendar on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th August (Which was originally scheduled to resume 17/18 but affected by the occurance CPL2020) with the staging of the ABACA 3-Stage Race. The riders are expected to take the road over the next 2 days to complete 3 events to accumulate the best overall time. The event will start off with a short 4 mile Individual Time Trial, starting in front the Police Recreation Grounds up the North Sound round a bout finishing back at PRG.

The 2nd Stage will take place at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, starting at 3pm and covering the circuit surrounding the stadium for a maximum of 18 laps. Times will be accumulated at the end of the race and rank the riders according to best times (who complete both stage in the least time) to wear the Yellow Jersey into Sunday race.

The 3rd and final stage will take place from the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, starting at 9am. The race will take the route unto Factory Road, Mount Joy Round about, Pot Works Dam Road, Bethesda, Red hill, up to St. James’s Gate, to turn and follow the same route back to Sir Vivian Richards Stadium for 2 laps.  At the end of Sunday’s race the rider with the best time will crown as the overall will of the ABACA 3 Stage Race. The island’s top riders are expected to participate in this weekend’s activities.  So of the favourites are National Road Champion, Andre Simon, Robert Marsh, National Time Trial and National Sportsman, Jyme Bridges, Marvin Spencer, Bobby Simon, Omari King, Garfield Henry, Jaleel Cannonier, Walton Francis, Mervin Gore Tesheed Gordon and Joel Phillip to name a few.

The 2nd half of the season shift into a slightly different focus as the association will shape the riders to racing for Club Points. The Association schedule 3 particular races to race as a team and for club points in 3 different disciplines of race, a team time trial, a Circuit Race and a Road Race. At the end of the season the Association will not only recognize the individual with the most points in the Points Series standings but also recognize the Best Race Club based off the result of these particular races.

However, plans for the hosting of the 2013 OCES Cycling Championships still uncertain as the host country made 2 changes to the date due to financial difficulties. The event was rescheduled from 18th to 25th August and now aiming at September 29th. St. Lucia Cycling Association pays host to this year’s event after St. Vincent Cycling Association fail to host last year’s event due to financial difficulties. Antigua and Barbuda Cycling Association revived the OECS Cycling Championships in 2005 and hosted the last successful event in its cycle in 2011.