Rain did not stop 16 cyclists from taking part in the ninth annual Tour de Grand Bahama.

The four female and 12 male competitors came from Grand Bahama, New Providence and the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) to compete in the race, which took place on February 4 and 5.

President of Grand Bahama Cyclists Club Kenton Roker said while the number of competitors decreased since the last race in 2019, all participants felt the event was a success.

"The riders competed in several categories - Male Master Open, Women's Open and Juniors," Roker said.

Kami Roach of New Providence won the Women's Open.

A triathlete for the past eight years, Roach told Grand Bahama News this was her first time competing in the Tour De Grand Bahama.

"The race was very challenging because the wind was very strong and the roads were wet from the rain each day," she said.

Roach said despite the weather, "It was a really fun event to race in."

She credited second-place finisher, Freeport's Sylvia Bateman, for her resolve to cycle ahead of the pack for the win.

"Sylvia was an amazing competitor," said Roach. "She really pushed me hard and I am happy to have been able to pull off the win."

She said she will return to Grand Bahama for the national championships in June and plans to compete in the 2024 Tour de Grand Bahama.

Roker explained that on Saturday, the cyclists rode two courses — a time trial and a criterium.

"In the time trial, the cyclists ride out at intervals to cover a specific distance on the course. In the criterium, riders cycled a specified number of laps on a closed course," said Roker.

"The time trial started from the Royal Oasis lawn to Coral Road roundabout and back. The criterium started from Casa Bahama, onto the Mall Drive, turning left on Kipling Lane (corner of the former Geneva's Restaurant), across the Kipling Building parking lot, turning left and back to Casa Bahama. The men rode 10 laps and the ladies eight."

On Sunday, the cyclists in the various categories competed in the final stage which was a 79.9-mile route.

Other winners in the Tour de Bahamas were Friedise Registre of TCI in the male division and Livingston Launy in the junior men's division.

Closing out the men's division were New Providence's Felix Neely and TCI's DeVaughn Williams, who placed second and third, respectively.

The third and fourth-place finishers in the female category were Snobia Moreau of Freeport and Ilaria Gervacini of New Providence, respectively.

In the junior division, Freeport's Ayden Bain and Barron Musgrove Jr. took second and third place, respectively, and closing out that lineup was Enea Gervacini of New Providence.

The next big cycling event is the Bahamas National Cycling Championships slated for June 2 and 3.

The annual competition is held on New Providence, however, this year, Grand Bahama will be the host island.

Roker is particularly excited because this is the half-century anniversary of the race.

"This is our 50th year of cycling," he said.

"We've cycled every year since independence. So, the 50th celebration will be held in Grand Bahama, and cyclists from around The Bahamas and other countries will want to compete in the races.

"We hope to put on a good show for the competitors and the fans, so that the national committee can decide to host this event here again."

The championships are hosted by the Bahamas Cycling Federation.

Its president is Roy Colebrooke and Roker is vice president.

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