Cycling: 78.5km road race |09 May 2023
Vélo Club de l’Ouest are perfectly maintaining their best-team record
Holiday-maker Artem Ponomarev wins race number 13
● Another top spot finish for Vélo Club de l’Ouest
British holiday-maker Artem Ponomarev is the grand winner of race number 13 hosted by l’Union Cycliste des Seychelles on Sunday, while Vélo Club de l’Ouest maintained their dominance in the team ranking, having topped the standing in all the races organised so far this season.
A keen cyclist, Ponomarev, a personal friend of chairman of Vélo Club de l’Ouest Ahmad Arissol, was riding alongside the youngsters from the Vélo Club de l’Ouest Academy in Sunday’s event ‒ a 78.5km road race.
For Sunday’s race which started at Stad Linite, the riders had to head downtown via Bois de Rose Avenue, before heading towards Persévérance where they turned at the round-about next to the Palais de Justice and headed back via the same route, up the Providence Highway, where they circled the roundabout at the Seychelles International Airport, before heading back via the highway, up to Roche Caïman, then headed south, again via the highway up to Anse Aux pins, Au Cap, Anse Royale, Takamaka, Baie Lazare, Anse Boileau, Montagne Posée, back to Au Cap, Anse Aux Pins, Pointe Larue, down the highway to Roche Caïman where the race ended.
Ponomarev completed the course in 2 hours 12 minutes 29 seconds (2h12:29) to finish first, ahead of Jayden Sinon of the Vélo Club de l’Ouest (VCDL) who was second in 2h12:58, pushing teammate Arissol into third place in 2h13:11,the same time as Julian Pool of North Coast Riders (NCR) who finished fourth overall.
Individual cyclist Jean-Yves Souyave was the fifth rider to cross the finish line, clocking 2h13:16, similar to sixth-placed Jahdel Gabriel of VCDL.
Stephane Belle of VCDL, along with Jeff Esparon, Yohan Monthy and Bertrand Lesperance of the Option Max Cycling Club (OMCC), all clocked 2h17:36 to finish seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th respectively.
Ashley Toussaint of VCDL Academy was the 11th rider to cross the finish line, clocking 2h20:04, ahead of teammate Chris Uzice and Mario Ernesta of NCR who registered similar time to finish 12th and 13th respectively, ahead of Lauren Jacques of the VCDL Academy who was 14th overall in 2h20:25.
NCR’s Edrick Roucou, Leeroy Labiche of the OMCC, and Ricky Rosalie, also of the NCR clocked 2h20:32 to finish the road race 15th, 16th and 17th respectively, while Dominic Arissol of the One Shot Pain Cycling Club (OSPCC) was 18th overall in 2h25:06.
Also of the OSPCC, Edward Pothin was the 19th cyclist to cross the finish line, clocking 2h31:06, the same time as Sebastien Florentine of the VCDL who was 20th on the ranking, finishing ahead of Trevor Malvina of the VCDL Academy who was the last rider to reach the final destination in 2h50:13.
Lario Harrison was the only rider not to complete the 78.5km challenge, abandoning after 1h30:45.
Complete results of the 78.5km road race
1. Artem Ponomarev – VCDL Academy (2h12:29)
2. Jayden Sinon – VCDL (2h12:58)
3. Ahmad Arissol –VCDL (2h13:11)
4. Julian pool – NCR (2h13:11)
5. Jean-Yves Souyave – Independent (2h13:16)
6. Jahdel Gabriel –VCDL (2h13:16)
7. Stephanne Belle – VCDL (2h17:36)
8. Jeff Esparon – OMCC (2h17:36)
9. Yohan Monthy –OMCC (2h75:36)
10. Bertrand Lesperance – OMCC (2h17:36)
11. Ashley Toussaint – VCDL Academy (2h20:04)
12. Chris Uzice –VCDL Academy (2h20:04)
13. Mario Ernesta –NCR (2h20:04)
14. Lauren Jacques –VCDL Academy (2h20:05)
15. Edrick Roucou – NCR (2h22:32)
16. Leeroy Labiche – OMCC (2h22:32)
17. Ricky Rosalie – NCR (2h22:32)
18. Dominic Arrisol – OSPCC (2h25:06)
19. Edward Pothin – OSPCC (2h31:06)
20. Sebastien Florentine – VCDL (2h31:06)
21. Trevor Malvina – VCDL Academy (2h50:13)
22. Lario Harrison – NCR (DNF)
Team results
1. VCDL – 6h39:25
2. VCDL Academy – 6h52:38
3. OMCC – 6h52:48
4. NCR – 6h55:47
Roland Duval
