If one was to ask Andy Mapple his reason for returning to the country, he would simply say, “to win the Tour of The Bahamas.”
After a seventh overall placing, in the Masters 40-50 division last year, Mapple was determined to come back and capture the division’s title. He knew he would have his hands full, in the stacked field of competitors, so his strategy was to head into Day Two of the 9th Annual Tour of The Bahamas with a comfortable lead, which meant winning the Time Trial and the Mile Circuit Race, both held on Saturday. Mapple’s goal was then to be in the “thick of the race” on Sunday, to ride off to victory.
In yesterday’s road race, which was 57 miles, Bahamian resident Lee Farmer crossed the finish line first but Mapple’s time of two hours, 25 minutes and 27 seconds (2:25:27) was good enough to give him the overall title. Mapple, who represented Florida Velo, finished with a combined time of 3:40.22. Darren Fuller of BMC Hincapie Cycling was second overall, in 3:40.40, and Larry Stickler from Kentucky Flyers Cycling, finished third overall, in 3:40.57.
