NEVIS CYCLE & TRIATHLON CLUB

Sports Page—Wednesday 20^th January 2010 By Curtis Morton

Even as the Nevis Cycling and Triathlon club prepares for what is expected to be an action packed season, one of its key athletes over the last few seasons is preparing to leave the island on a coaching stint.

Tri-athlete James Weekes will leave the island on Saturday en route to Loughborough in England where he will engage in an intense course of training for persons interested in the coaching of Tri-athletes. Weekes who has already completed a level one course will go on to do the level two course which will commence on January 27^th

The coaching program will last for three days but it will be three fully packed days of intense work which will involve the practical aspects of swimming, cycling and running and then there is the theoretical aspect which will involve research work and the developing of coaching programs to suit the needs of the participating countries.  On his return to Nevis however, Weekes will be required to stay in touch with the Course officials over the next six months as he would be implementing certain specified projects and sending updated reports to the course Facilitators as they assess his progress.

Weekes indicated that he is at the stage of retirement from the grueling sport and would like to enhance the skills of the youths on Nevis.  “I want them to get where I did not get in the sport”, he explained.

President of the club, Winston Crooke indicated that the Triathlon season will start on the 30^th of January with the first in a series of mini-triathlons.  In March the club will host its flagship event which will in effect be, the 8^th annual Nevis Triathlon which would also serve as the National championships both for the Olympic and Sprint distances.  There will also be a Tri-a-tri as part of the calendar as well.

Greg Phillip who is one of the leaders within the club indicated that the Cycling season commenced on the 2^nd of January and that two races have been completed thus far, with another race, a time trial set for this coming Saturday.  No fewer than twenty races are scheduled for the season with one of the major races set for the 27^th and 28^th of February which is the Major Taylor Honour day race which will involve Cyclists from Nevis, St.Maarten, Anguilla and the Windward Islands.  There is also the big Independence road race set for the end of August.

He further indicated that the club continues to train interested persons which include youngsters and females.  He is very impressed with the progress of young 14 year old Asim Chapman who in the two races thus far came third in both events, actually pushing the senior guys to the limit.

Nevis’ number one Tri-athlete, Reggie Douglas indicated that he has had a sluggish start to the season thus far, despite his two wins, as he has just recovered from an illness.  He however indicated that these initial races are being used as a build up for the remainder of the season and is absolutely sure that Nevis will represent well in the upcoming major events.

Winston Crooke also explained that his club members who participated in the international meet in Switzerland last year, were treated like super stars and actually got a major write up and photo shoot in no less a newspaper than “The Switz National News”.  They also got write ups in some of the major cycling magazines.  He is elated due to the fact that not only did the Nevisian athletes get recognition, but that Nevis as a tourist destination also received major advertisement.