In just under 30 hours, more than 100 racing cyclists from countries around the world will cross the starting line at historic Clifton Heritage Park to compete in the 8th annual Tour of The Bahamas, the premiere cycling event in The Bahamas.
This year’s races, sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism, Holowesko Partners and Bank of The Bahamas, include several of hottest racing teams in the world, according to event organizer Jeff Major.
The course takes cyclists around the southwestern portion of the island and spectators are asked to park in the Clifton Heritage Park lot by 7:30 am if they want to catch the first start.
“The annual Tour of The Bahamas draws some of the top teams from North America and elsewhere,” said Major, who is also president of JAR Cycling, the local club that plays host to the event. “Like the Tour de France, it’s a beautiful sight to see because there is no other sport where a single person on a single machine is so finely tuned and in such tight competition, nor any other sport where experience is more critical than age. In fact, some of our very best riders are in the junior class and over the age of 50.”
According to Major, this year’s races will have the largest contingent ever of local participants.
“What’s really exciting for us is to see how cycling has grown as a sport in Nassau. You used to see the occasional lone cyclist on the road. Now on a good Saturday or Sunday, you see dozens, many of them on sophisticated racing bikes,” he said. “Along with the amateurs and pro-elite teams, we expect to have the most local riders in the history of running of the Tour.”
It is the first time BOB has joined Tour of The Bahamas as a sponsor.
“We’re additionally pleased to have the assistance from Holowesko Partners, our long time partner, the Ministry of Tourism and now with Bank of The Bahamas joining us in this event, we believe it will draw even more attention to the event.”
Staged in February when much of North America is blanketed by snow, the event is also an opportunity to showcase The Bahamas.
“Nassau offers a serene and scenic backdrop for the races and an opportunity for many of the professional cyclists to get a race in before the season begins,” says Vaughn Delaney Deputy Managing Director, Bank of The Bahamas. “We’ve committed ourselves to youth development and this is a great opportunity to encourage healthy living among our young people. We hope that this event encourages more young people to participate in races in the future and we are proud to sponsor the Junior Circuit Trophy as well.”
With reigning Caribbean champion Jay Major as a team member, a strong showing is expected from the Junior Circuit. Racing teams in this year’s event include Chemstar United Healthcare Cycling Team, Hincapie Development Team, Hot Tubes Junior Development Team, Team Bluestar, Team Fraizer and Florida Velo. Registration for the three-stage event will be held on Friday, January 28 at 3pm. The first phase of the tour begins at 7am Saturday with a three-mile time trial, followed by a six-mile circuit race with laps ranging from three to seven depending on the category. Sunday, the road courses will begin at 8am with the juniors, covering a 24-mile race, followed by the men, women and masters in a 57-mile race. The pros will start at 9:30 am in a 76-mile competition.
“We invite the public to come out on Saturday and Sunday to the Clifton Heritage Park and be a part of this incredible event,” reminded Jeff Major. “Watch from the sidelines, cheer on the participants and enjoy a fun family themed event.”
Diane Phillips & Associates
