Cycling: Dominic Arrisol confirms dominance with National Championship victory |27 November 2013

Team Sharks’ Dominic Arrisol rode away from the field to win this year’s three-race National Championship and at the same improved his 36.3km individual time trial record.
Arrisol succeeds Edward Pothin who had himself replaced Hedson Mathieu as National Championship winner in 2012.

Voted best improved cyclist in last year’s National Classification and National Championship and second-best to Pothin in the race for the cyclist of the year 2012 title, Arrisol took the leadership of the Eco Riders team and lately Team Sharks in 2013. It has proven a very good season for him with a series of wins in short and long distance races and records to go with them.

Seychelles’ best cyclists at the 32nd Tour de Maurice with an overall seventh place finish and ranked third among the juniors with a time of 13 hours 48 minutes 57 seconds (13h48:57), Arrisol had to show his winning abilities last weekend and he did it in style in the National Championship which he won in a combined time of 3h26:16.

The 133.8km National Championship comprised three stages – a 36.3km individual time-trial, a 6.8km hill climb and a 90.7km road race.

Arrisol started the championship with a record in Saturday’s stage one – 36.3km individual time-trial – clocking 48 minutes 24 seconds (48:24) to erase seven hundredth of a second off his previous best of 48:31 clocked on October 27, 2013 – the day he pulverised Hedson Mathieu’s time 50:08 established on April 7 this year.

In Sunday morning’s 6.8km hill climb won by Peter Alphonse of the Journey cycling club in a time of 22:43.970, Arrisol was third in 23:11.720 and he needed a sprint finish to cross the finish line of the 90.7km road race first in 2h14:41. In fact, nine cyclists clocked 2h14:41 in the championship’s last race.

Arrisol’s teammate Chris Germain finished second with a time of 3h27:42 and third was Dean Hoareau of the Journey cycling club with 3h30:53.

Hoareau was also ranked first in the junior category followed in second and third places by teammates Jean-Paul Lozé (3h31:06) and Mario Joubert (3h56:50).

Third overall with a time of 3h29:07, cadet rider Fadi Confiance, who could not be ranked among the junior, espoir and seniors due to his young age, won the cadet class ahead of Journey cycling club’s Peter Alphonse (3h31:27) and Jean-Eve Souyave.

In the team ranking, Journey cycling club finished first with a combined time of 10h37:21, followed in second place by Team Sharks (10h54:45) and in third position by Journey Espoir (12h09:04).
A total of 14 riders completed the championship.

National Championship winners
2013: Dominic Arrisol
2012:  Edward Pothin
2011: Hedson Mathieu
2010: Andy Rose
2009: Andy Rose
2008: Francis Louis
2007: Hedson Mathieu
2006: Hedson Mathieu
2005: Hedson Mathieu
2004: Hedson Mathieu
2003: Hedson Mathieu
2002: Andy Rose
2001: Hedson Mathieu
2000: Hedson Mathieu
1999: Hedson Mathieu
1998: Hedson Mathieu
1997: Hedson Mathieu
1996: Garry Gappy
1995: Gilbert Figaro
1994: Lucas Georges
1993: Gustave Siméon
1992: Lucas Georges
1991: Lucas Georges
1990: Sam Rignace
1989: Lucas Georges
1988: Lucas Georges
1987: Sam Rignace
1986: Sam Rignace
1985: Roland Hoareau

G. G.