Cycling-PLS Riders make clean sweep |25 April 2005

After deciding to leave the peloton with four laps to go, Roniel Fanny had enough fire in his legs to pedal alone to the finish line in front of the Cascade community centre.
With an average speed of 38.511 kilometres per hour (km/h), Fanny’s time after the 10 laps was one hour 50 minutes 36 seconds (1h50:36), a new record.

Almost three minutes later, the arrival of the peloton was signaled by a siren from a police motorbike and everyone knew that there was going to a final sprint to decide the other positions.

Known for his sprinting qualities, Hudson Mathieu could have easily taken second place but let young teammate Francis Louis cross the finish line before him for the runner-up position while he settled for third position.

In fact, the whole peloton, comprising junior and senior riders, was credited with 1h53:21.

Fanny, 28, told Sports Nation after the race that “I felt good and set my own pace after leaving the peloton with four laps to go. I’m looking forward to have a good season and win at least one of the stages in this year’s Tour des Seychelles.”

The first junior rider home was the fast-improving Leroy Labiche of Vélo Club de Mahé and he was fourth overall in 1h53:21. Like all cyclists in the peloton, Labiche averaged a speed of 37.638 km/h.

With PLS Riders getting three cyclists on the podium, they easily won the best team title with a combined time of 5h37:18, an average of 37.889 km/h.

Both runners-up Vélo Club de Mahé and third placed St Francis finished with a combined time of 5h40:03 each, an average of 37.589 km/h.

Fanny’s win on Saturday brings to two the number of success by PLS Riders’ cyclists in as many races this far in the season. Individual time-trail specialist Hudson Mathieu, who is to leave for France to join his old club CAC 4, won the 17.1-km race on Saturday April 16 in new record time of 23:23.88.

In the cadet category, France Anacoura is set to dominate after his second consecutive victory.

After winning the 17.1-km individual time-trial in 27:42.06 the weekend before, Anacoura, 16, was faster than Uri Biscornet to win the six-lap race of 42.6 kilometres on a sprint. They both got the same time of 1h07:01, an average speed of 38.139 km/h.

Third in a time of 1h11:38 was Leslie Siméon, the younger brothers of weightlifting brothers Charles, Elvis and Romeo.

The race started in front of the Cascade community centre and the riders pedaled towards the Seychelles International Airport. They turned left on reaching the Providence highway and left again to take the old Cascade in front of the Civil Construction Company Limited (CCCL) quarry.

It is to note that St Francis’ experienced riders Jim Melanie and Andrew Boniface aren’t expected to race this year and until they get back on their bikes, probably next season, the team’s young new recruits will learn things the hard way and hope to get some wins now and then.

G. G.