The Bahamas Amateur Cycling Federation continued with its Cycling Development Youth Program, its Family Island Development, its revitalizing of its Island Association, as this Organization along with its partners made a stop in the Country's Second City, Freeport Grand Bahama for the First Annual Herman Major & Grand Bahama Tank Cleaning Co ltd Cycling Tour Championship staged on Sat/Sun 9th -10th August, 2008.

According to V.P of the Federation Keith Lloyd, this is a process that we have undertaken to go into the existing organization and revitalizes them, encourage them to establish youth developed programs, stage cycling clinics within youth companies etc. To encourage community fun bike rides, to educated the public in their communities about the benefits of the sport such as, its environmental benefits, health benefits just to name a few.

This is an ongoing project to cover all the Islands of the Bahamas, establish various bicycle clubs, and where possible cycling associations. We formed a committed headed by Veteran Cyclist Sam Iron Man Brown, and Noel Donna Brown, to travel the country seeking out talented youths, training them for local and international competition for the next four years, as we prepare for the next Olympic.

The First Annual Herman Major/Grand Bahama Tank Cleaning Co Ltd Cycling Tour Championship Staged on Sat/Sun 9th -10th August, 2008.

Photo 1: Courtesy, BACF, Photo 2; Derek Carroll

Results

Overall Winners

1st Place / Champion Keith Major Freeport Cycling Club

2nd Place Barron Turbo Team Warlords

3rd Place Tracy Sweeting Team JAR

4th Place Vince Turnquest Freeport Cycling Club

5th Place Kim Thompson

6th Place Wayne Archer Freeport Cycling Club

7th Place Eugene Heastie

8th Place Robert Bethel Team Warlords

9th Place Brad Heney Team JAR

Divisional Winners

Sr I / Masters I Sr II / Masters

1st Place Keith Major 1st Place Wayne Archer

2nd Place Barron Musgrove 2nd Place Eugene Heastie

3rd Place Tracy Sweeting 3rd Place Robert Bethel

4th Place Vince Turnquest

5th Place Johnny Hoyte

Sr III/ Masters III Junior Girls

1st Brad Heney 1st Antinece Simmons Team Warriors

2nd Bruce Silvera 2nd Abagail Minnis

Junior Boys

1st Anthony Biggie Colebrook Team Warriors

2nd Justin Minnis Team Warriors

3rd Rihaime Colebrook Team Warriors

Most Aggressive Cyclist

Kim Thompson and Vince Turn quest both cyclist out of Freeport

Stage I 54 miles

1st Kim Thompson Time 2hrs 46mins.04 sec

2nd Tracey Sweeting " " .04 sec

3rd Keith Major .05sec

4th Turbo Musgrove .09sec

5th Vince Turn quest 22sec

6th Wayne Archer 29sec

7th Eugene Heastie 2hrs.50mins.52sec

8th Robert Bethel 2hrs..53mins.27

Brad Heney

Stage II 30 mile Circuit Race Chicken Farm Road

1st Place Tracy Sweeting Time 1hr.20mins.58sec

2nd Keith Major 1hr.21mins.01sec

3rd Johnny Hoyte 1hr.21mins.28sec

4th Vince Turnquest 1hr.21mins.28sec

5th Turbo Musgrove 1hr.21mins.30sec

6th Wayne Archer 1hr.21mins.31sec

7th Kim Thompson 1hr.21mins.32sec

8th Brad Heney 1hr.28mins.26sec

9th Eugene Heastie 1hr.33mins.04sec

10th Robert Bethel 1hr.33mins.06sec

11th Bruce Silvera

Stage III 7 mile Individual Time Trial

1st Turbo Musgrove Time 16mins.22sec

2nd Keith Major 16mins.33sec

3rd Vince Turn quest 17mins.09sec

4th Tracy Sweeting 17mins.14sec

5th Kim Thompson 17 mins.42sec

6th Wayne Archer 18 mins.43sec

7th Brad Heney 19mins.16sec

8th Robert Bethel 19mins.43sec

9th Eugene Heastie 20mins.11sec

Stage Report

Saturday 9th August Stage I 60 miles Road Race High Rock to West End

The race started at about 10am in the morning, which is very hot, and the course was breezy. The Cyclist start off in a flash as race sponsor added several spot prizes throughout the race route and this caused a number of attacks by the cyclist. The first spot-prizes or sprint saw Keith Major/Kim Thompson/Tracy Sweeting / Turbo Musgrove go for it but Major won, the second one Tracy won, third was Major again, fourth was Tracy/ fifth one Tracy and the final sprint prime/spot-prizes was won by Major. These small incentives cause the race to pick up speed, the group of cyclist traveled throughout Freeport, Eight Mile into West End, at high rate of speed, causing the motor bike cop to blaze their sirens so the cars can move out of the way. This stage came down to a blazing sprint which was lead out by Vince " Superman " Turnquest at about 35 mph. The sprint went with Turbo, Major, Thompson and National Road Champion Tracy Sweeting, but it was seconds separating the winners, Kim Thompson won, Sweeting, Major, Musgrove,Turnquest to round off the top 5 places.

On Sunday the other stages was held, Stage II, Stage III, along with the juniors 10/8/08

The juniors take to the street with a short circuit race covering 12 miles, they started off with attacks from Justin Jet Minnis, Antinece followed, along with Abagail, and they continued this way for most of the race. But as Anthony Biggie Colebrook decide it's his turn and sprinted out of the cycling group, not to be seen again. So the fight came down to the others as Antinece out sprinted Justin, Rihaime and Abagail for second place, Abagail next, Rihaime.

In the Stage II for the Male….. 30 miles

The race from start to finish was a number of sprints, break always and attacks by all the cyclist, Tracy/Hoyte/Major/Thompson made several breaks, but they where brought back in, Hoyte and Tracy, Thompson /Tracey, Major/Thompson/Musgrove and all efforts was brought back in. But it was in the last few miles Major/Tracy made a break and was not brought in, Tracy won, Major second.

But it all came down to the last stage the time trial 7 miles the race of truth, and the leaders was only separated by seconds….. They left at 1 min interval to take on the 7 mile cycling course and at the end it was Turbo Musgrove with the winning time, Major second, Vince third etc

In the masters II it was also a battle as Robert Bethel, Eugene Heastie and Wayne Archer battled for the lead from day one. The lead change from stage to stage, one minute Bethel had the lead, the next stage Heastie had the lead and after the Time Trial Wayne Archer from Freeport just got the win over the rest. In the Master III newcomer to riding just around a year over in the Bahamas , Brad Heney who competed with the top guns and was right in the group, so there was no one in that cat's that could beat him, it was a good win for Brad Heney.

Special thanks go out to:

Major Sponsor: Mr. Herman Major & The Grand Bahama Tank Cleaning Co Ltd

Grand Bahama Cycling Committee

Andrew Bell who served as an Official

Rowshan Jones who served as an Official

Mr. Herman Major who served as an Official

Mr. Bruce Silvera

D'Albenas Agency Ltd

The 'Mail Boat' for Transporting Bikes

Bell Channel inn

Zulu's Car Rental

Bahamasair