Colombian Oscar Panchon copped the second leg of Stage Race of the Tobago International Cycle Classic, yesterday. The Team Cocos rider completed the five lap/100km Turtle Beach/Les Coteaux/Arnos Vale circuit ahead of Frenchman Aurelin Daniel (Team Econo Car Rental) and Colombians Jaime Ramirez (Team Cocos) and Andres Ramirez (Team Kriegar).
Panchon took the lead at the end of the second lap and maintained his advantage and crossed the line well ahead of Daniel.
Andres made an early break at the end of the first lap opening a big gap over Christian Torres (Colombia/Team Foundation) as the two were well ahead of the chasing pack. Panchon was back in fourth before making his move and was not headed.
Stage One winner Arno Van Der Zwet (Netherlands/PSL) finished down the field in eighth but still held on to the overall lead and will wear the Yellow Jersey in tomorrow’s third leg, the Plymouth Village Criterium on Shelbourne Street starting at 1 pm.
Another Colombian Christian Torres (Team Foundation) won the Sprint Prime for the second straight stage.
Local rider Enrique Cammarmond (Heatwave) won the Division Two (2 lap/50km race) ahead of Jabari Whiteman (Southclaine) and Andrew Hicks (Guyana/Rig Tech Sonics). Whiteman will wear the leader’s shirt in the third leg.
Leg three is the Plymouth Village Criterium starting on Shelbourne Street in Plymouth tomorrow with the 50 laps/65km race for Division One riders and the 20 laps/26km for Division Two. The Division Three and Novice riders will compete over five laps/7km. The fourth and final leg is the Market Square Criterium in Wilson Road Scarborough on Saturday where the riders all battle over 60 laps/60 km (Division One)/20 laps/20 km (Division Two) and Five laps/5km) Division Three and Novices. Overall winners will be crowned.
Others events on the schedule are the Two stage Mountain Bike Classic (Race One Sep 3, Race Two- Oct 3, Arnos Vale, Oct 1), Classic Kids Cycling Festival (Oct 1-Wilson Road, Scarborough, Oct 2-Esplanade, Scarborough), Corn Soup Line (Sept 28-Johnstons Apartments) , Run Punch Beach Lime and Pinic (Sep 29-Pigeon Point). The 2016 edition will culminate with the UCI 1.2 Tour of Tobago Road Race (120km) which will begin at 7.30 pm.
The prize giving presentation and farewell lime is set for Sunday at 4 pm at Johnstons Apartments.
This year’s Classic is sponsored by Tobago House Assembly, Tourism Development Company (TDC), Ministry of Sports, Sports Company of Trinidad and Tobago, National Lotteries Control Board, Caribbean Bottlers, Caribbean Airlines, Blink/BMobile, British Airways, Econ Car Rentals, Kiss Baking, Holidays Snacks, Johnstons Apartments, Crown Point Hotel.