Denver Alphonse, a talented young rider from Saint Lucia, continues to demonstrate his skills on the Martinique cycling circuit.
Last weekend, at the fourth Grand Prix Mille Éco Shop in Robert, Martinique, Denver secured a fifth place in the Under-19 division for both the time trial and road race.
With over 50 cyclists in the competition, the 17-year-old from La Caye, Dennery clocked a time of 10:52 in the six-kilometre time trial and finished the challenging 132.8-km road race in 4:16:45. He was just 1:28 behind the winner in the time trial and finished 46:56 behind the road race leaders, placing 27th and 35th overall.
In his previous outing in Martinique about a month ago, Denver also showcased his talent by finishing sixth in a highly competitive field.
The Grand Prix Mille Éco Shop, organized by Jeunesse Cycliste 231, attracted participants from various regions including Martinique, Guadeloupe, and mainland France, with Alphonse standing out as the only non-French competitor. Mathys Nacitas of Madinina Bikers led the U19 division in the time trial with a remarkable time of 10:01, while Stefan Bennett of Jeunesse Cycliste 231 finished first overall in 9:24.
In an exhilarating conclusion to the road race, Bennett edged out teammate Mickaël Stanislas, with both clocking in at 3:29:49. Mathéo Sivatte of UC Spiritaine claimed the top U19 spot in 3:38:43.
Looking ahead, Alphonse is set to compete in next weekend’s Independence Criterium Championships, which have been rescheduled from last month. The races at the Castries City Circuit will feature Saint Lucia’s top riders competing across various divisions, kicking off at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.