Sunday’s Fresh Start Road Race, hosted by the Virgin Islands Cycling Federation, delivered plenty of excitement, especially with the presence of six visiting cyclists. Despite a heavy downpour midway through the event, our dedicated course safety volunteers remained steadfast at their posts.
The Elite category featured a small but fierce competition between Stephen Swanton and Michael Steimle. The two riders tackled three laps of the Bypass Loop—nearly 45 miles—sticking together for most of the race. Spectators could sense that Swanton was holding back for a decisive move in the final lap. True to expectations, he surged ahead, crossing the finish line at 2:14:59, just over a minute ahead of St. Thomian Steimle.
Pre-race chatter in the Expert category centered around 13-year-old cycling prodigy Xander Morales. The diverse 12-rider group, spanning ages 13 to 71, set off for their two-lap challenge. By the end of the first lap, eight riders remained in contention, but Xander’s power and endurance became evident on the bypass during lap two. He broke away from the pack, relentlessly pushing forward along Southside Rd, and finished more than two minutes ahead of the field. The battle for the remaining podium spots intensified. John Sales appeared to have second place secured, but James Bates surged past him on the right in a stunning last-minute move to claim silver. John settled for third, with Ted Prosper, Tom Keery, and Wayne Nichols following closely behind.
In a thrilling downhill sprint to the finish in the Sport category, 15-year-old Logan Keys and Guy Augustin raced neck-and-neck, with Keys edging ahead by just two inches at the line. Both riders recorded an identical finish time of 48:05 for the 15-mile race, while Joseph Thomas followed closely, securing third place in 48:25.
Cyclists in the Masters, Women’s, and Junior divisions completed a single 15-mile lap. In a thrilling finish, Ralph Bartlett outpaced Troy Holloway in the final stretch, while Nelson Rojas secured third place more than 30 seconds behind. In the women’s race, Enid Francis delivered a strong performance to claim victory over Jody Goodrich. Meanwhile, 15-year-old Randy Williams, the lone Junior competitor, put up an impressive ride, finishing just behind Enid.
The next race on VICF’s schedule is the Pot O’ Gold Road Race on Sunday, March 16 at 7 a.m. For more information, please call 340-513-2707.
