TCI Cycling Federation hosts its first Annual Youth Championship

#Providenciales, October 1, 2018 – Turks and Caicos – In honour of National Youth Day the Turks and Caicos Cycling Federation hosted its first event dedicated solely to youth cyclists.  The day saw 15 children and teens compete over three categories. Category one for the most advanced, category two for intermediary level and the open category for novice cyclists.

The event started with the highly anticipated category one race which featured Ethan Gardiner, who until recently was the undefeated kids champ and Sean Walters, who bested him in the kids category at the recent Glory of the Green Championship.  The two duked it out over 12.5 miles.  Though a close finish, Sean once again emerged the winner and this time claimed the title of 2018 Youth Champion.  Clayton Thomas came in third, with a great showing despite experiencing technical difficulties with his bike.

Category two saw the most participants with seven young men, all excited to get a chance to show off their growing skills.  They started strong over their 8.6-mile journey, each trying his best to stay ahead of the pack.  Kymani Ewing captured first place followed by Emory James in second and Ethan Lightbourne placing third.  All three credited their performances to the weekly Kids ride and the mentorship from adult cyclists in the federation.

The open category was all girl.  The five who are regulars at the weekly Kids ride, were all a little nervous as it was the first race for most.  But they did not allow that to slow them down over their 4-mile ride.  Hayley Williams took first place followed by Jewel Thomas in second and Alyssa Gardiner in third. All three are considering joining category two in the next race.

This first annual event in apart the federation’s youth focus; which includes the weekly Kids ride and mentorship program.  President Shanwell Gardiner stressed the fact that the future of cycling lays in the hands of our youth.  He went on to say that the current initiatives are just the foundation of the federation’s youth focus and will be built upon as time goes on.  Vice President Sean Rodgers encouraged parents to get their children involved in cycling, stating the federation offers a safe and fun environment which allows them to hone their riding skills while learning valuable life lessons such as discipline and sportsmanship through the mentorship program.

Next for the federation is the Tour De Turks and Caicos Championship.  This is a four-stage race that will take place over two weekends.  October 7^th in North and Middle Caicos is an 8-mile individual time trial, followed by a 73-mile road race on October 8^th.  October 13^th in Providenciales is an 11-mile time trial followed by a 77-mile road race.  The entire event will conclude with a banquet and prize giving ceremony on the evening of the 14^th.

The Turks and Caicos Cycling Federation wishes to thank our sponsors; the parents for allowing their children to participate not only in the youth championship but the weekly Kids rides.  A special thank you also to all of our volunteers who assisted in making this event a success.

Release: TCI Cycling Federation