The Tobago International Cycling Classic is back, but in a scaled down version.
The premier road race in the English-speaking Caribbean will take place from October 13-16 this year after not having been held since 2019 due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Scottish American McGill’s 2019 overall victory seems a lifetime away now. But despite the pandemic still lingering, race organizer Jeff Charles said the time had come to put the race back on the cycling map. However, the Classic will only be contested over three stages this year instead of the usual five.
“I’m not sure what the reactions will be with Covid-19 still up in the air,” Charles told the Express yesterday. “I think if I held it back another year, I felt like I would have lost momentum.”
Charles said the ongoing uncertainty over Covid was behind the decision to make changes for the 34th edition of the race.
“I decided to scale it back to make sure we get back into the cycling calendar and slowly build the momentum and international stature that the event enjoyed before the two-year pandemic break,” he said.
This year, the three stages will include a nine kilometer circuit race, a six kilometer criterium and the traditional Tour of Tobago.
Unlike in recent previous editions, no points from the world governing body, the UCI, will be available this year.
However, the race still attracted eight international teams – Team Corratec (USA), Team Blazers (USA), Team Pharmaco (USA), Team Velo Lounge Linz (Germany), Team Recapi (Colombia), Team STV (United Kingdom), Guyana National Team and Team Raiders.
“The response has not been like previous years, but better than expected,” said Charles. “There seems to be a lot of unpredictability about air travel internationally. This is a big concern for many of these teams who want to come. But they are still interested,” he added.
Charles hopes more teams from outside the region will come on board as the race draws closer, but he said the response from the local and Caribbean cycling fraternity has been encouraging.
“It’s been great in Trinidad, but also throughout the Caribbean,” said Charles. “I think they see this race as the backbone of road cycling in the Caribbean. It’s not just in Trinidad, it’s all over the Caribbean…Most people have been very supportive.”
