According to the Bermuda Bicycle Association’s Social Media page, the Bermuda Bicycle Association Junior National Team competed in the Junior Caribbean Cycling Championships Road race going on in the Dominican Republic.
Matthew Oliveira captured his second Silver Medal in the Pre-Junior Boys 15-16 Road Race, He was part of a two-man breakaway that started on the seventh of ten laps of the 6.5k circuit. He and his fellow escapee eventually built a one minute lead on the rest of the pack and going into the final hill to the finish the two riders were giving all they could to ensure the victory. In the final surge to the line Matthew was narrowly beaten but it was a well-earned result.
Oliveira’s teammates Kaden Hopkins and Dylan Hill both raced well despite Hopkins crashing in a 180 degree turn on the first lap. He then spent an entire lap chasing the peloton and made it back in order to help cover attacks from other countries to help Oliveira. Hopkins retired after six laps but not until he made a final effort to help better the Bermuda result. Hill spent the race towards the front a very strong peloton covering break attempts until pulling out after 8 laps, very exhausted but confident that his work had helped Oliveira’s chances.
Bermuda’s two girls were up against some very strong riders in a field of just eight riders. While finish in the last two spots, Tristan Narraway and Cassandra McPhee stayed with the peloton into the final kilometres of the race. Having had to chase back to the group numerous times in their eight-lap race, they showed that they belonged at this event and have the ability to progress further.
Daniel Oatley competing in the Junior Male 17/18 Division rode the race of the year, Oatley was Bermuda’s only representative in the older Age Group which raced 15 laps, almost 100k in extremely warm conditions. While the eventual winner from Dominican Republic was building an ever larger lead from the fifth lap, Oatley maintained a safe position in the peloton which was seeing the numbers dwindle as the race progressed. On the 11th lap, sensing the opportunity to seize one of the remaining podium positions, he initiated a break with another Dominican rider and the two made some progress on that lap but were eventually reeled in by the peloton with just four laps to go. That group then continued to attack each other and as the peloton shattered into several smaller groups Oatley was within sight of the main chasers, mainly Dominicans and finished in the top ten. This was a fantastic result for the recent Saltus graduate and showed his ability to read the race situation.
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