Colombian rider Matteo Garcia cemented his place in Guyanese cycling history on Sunday, producing a clean sweep to win the 42nd edition of the National Independence Three-Stage Cycling Road Race.
Representing the Trinidad and Tobago-based Team Raiders, Garcia won all three stages of the two-day prestigious event, crossing the finish line on Sunday in torrential rain in a time of 2:16:53, ahead of teammate Jadian Neaves (2:17:17), while home favourite Paul DeNobrega of Continental C had to settle for third.
Garcia emulate John Briton’s 2024 achievement, where the Guyanese-born rider also swept all three stages to secure overall victory.
In the Junior category, Alex Newton of KFC Evolution underlined his class with an outstanding performance, clocking 2:25:05 to finish ahead of Alex Leung (Continental C) and Triston Jaichand.
The Masters categories saw seasoned campaigners rise to the fore. Robin Persaud captured the 35–50 division title with a total time of 6:29:29, followed by Adam Alexander and Segun Hubbard. Meanwhile, Mark Spencer topped the Over-50 field with consistent rides across all three stages, posting times of 1:42:34, 2:34:29, and 2:26:25.
In Category Four, it was another win for KFC Evolution as Roy Mangal took top honours, sealing stage wins in both the second and third legs. Kwame Fortune and Carlos Mendonca completed the podium.
