A team of five cyclists from St. Lucia will face the starter’s pistol on Friday when the 2015 Junior Caribbean Championships start in the Dominican Republic.
St. Lucia’s is charged will be led by Dave Charlery the 2014 Junior Cyclist of the Year,
Andrew Norbert who recently won the grueling 68 kilometer Road Race from Castries to Vieux Fort and Romeus Noel, the 2015 National Junior Champion. The three cyclists will compete in the 17 – 18 category.
In the juveniles division the ever improving Kluivert Mitchel who has won all races in that division this year will have alongside him Jessie Mentor.
While in the Dominican Republic the team will be under the watchful eyes of Manager / Coach Cyril Mangal, who is also the President of the St. Lucia Cycling Association ten countries plus the host country have confirmed their participation: Jamaica, Barbados, French St. Martin, Dutch St. Maarten, Bermuda, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Curacao, St. Lucia, Aruba and host Dominican Republic.
Mangal said: “The team’s airfares were made possible by St. Lucia Lotteries Authority ($12,000.00), St. Lucia Olympic Committee ($5,815.00,) Claude Chase, former junior cyclist of the year ($500.00) and other sponsors ($3,250.00.)
He noted, “The St. Lucia Cycling Association is still trying to secure funding to pay for the excess baggage totaling. EC$4,000
Mangal is appealing for assistance with the charges and the cost of over – nighting in Trinidad both to and from the Dominican Republic, another EC$1,000.00.
He hopes that the necessary funding can be secured or the charges can be waived by the airline as the SLCA has written to Copa Airlines requesting the waiver.
The St. Lucia team is scheduled to leave tomorrow.