When thinking of Jamaica, the first sportspeople who come to mind are those who are famously fast on the athletics track. The history-making successes of the likes of Usain Bolt and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce have inspired a nation to lace up a pair of running shoes. Up to this point, cycling has remained a minor sport in the Caribbean island nation.
Carlton Simmonds would like to change that. He is the Race Director of the Jamaica International Cycling Classic: Jamaica’s first-ever road cycling UCI event. He hopes that the new status of the race will kick-start the growth of cycling both in Jamaica and the Caribbean.
The Jamaica International Cycling Classic has been a national event since 2022, but stepped up to become a UCI 2.2-level competition this year, held over three stages from April 5-7.
Describing the race to Cyclingnews, Simmonds said that the course showed off Jamaica’s natural beauty. The route looped around the Montego Bay area, taking in the renowned coastline of Jamaica’s most northerly reaches. Much of the route hugged the translucent blue ocean, with the occasional jaunt inland to take in some short, steep hills.
The riders were unable to enjoy the views due to the challenging race, with the peloton being buffeted by the strong and unrelenting Caribbean winds, to which they were completely exposed.
Cycling development in Jamaica
Simmonds hope is that the Jamaica International Cycling Classic will be a catalyst for the development of the sport in the country. Upgrading the race to UCI status means an increase in the ability level represented at the race. This gives a chance for Jamaican riders to compete against a higher standard of opposition, thereby increasing their own levels.
“I think it will help our regional riders to be more exposed to higher-quality racing and higher-quality of riders,” Simmonds said of the upgraded status of the race. “I think that is what is lacking in this space: the calibre of racing that we have and the type of riders that our regional riders are exposed to in terms of their own development.”
When the race was first put on in 2022, there were 45 participants, the majority coming from Jamaica, with others making the trip from around the Caribbean and…
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