The Sierra Leone National Cycling Association (SLNCA) has won the second edition of the ECOWAS peace cycling tour held in Liberia.
The competition was organized by the Cycling Federation of Liberia in partnership with ECOWAS and in accordance with the regulation of the International Cycling Union (UCI).
During the competition the host country Liberia produced 18 cyclists, Guinea 7, Sierra Leone 6 and a guest cyclist D Lion. Before the start of the competition the Liberian minister of sports, Etmonia D Tarpeh, opened the competition.
The president of the Sierra Leone Cycling Association, Winston Crowther, was the chief commissioner with one commissioner each from the host and Guinea was mandated to declare the winners.
Many Liberians watched the competition from inter-sections and highways in which the Sierra Leone team won the first five positions out of 32 cyclists.
Defending champion Shadrack Williams won the competition with about four hundred meters gap followed by a newcomer in the national team Saidu Mansaray, and in third position was Ibrahim S Kargbo was followed by Alimamy Sesay and Augustine Sesay respectively.
It was only the five Sierra Leonean cyclists who completed the closed circuit of 6.5km race 12 times for a global distance of 78km while Sierra Leone’s sixth cyclist Moses Sesay did not complete the race due to mechanical failure during the eighth round.
The competition took place in the capital city, starting from the Tubman Stadium (ATS) turning Lynch Street, down Carey Street, Robert Street, up Broad Street, Crown Hill, Capital Bye Pass, them in front of University of Liberia (UL), through UN Drive along the Executive Mansion and back to the Antoinette Tubman Stadium (ATS)
At the end of the twelfth round there was slight disruption by the Liberian fans when they embraced one of their cyclists as the winner which drew shocked glances from the judges but the situation was put under control by the Liberian police
The official closing ceremony was held at the Samuel K Doe complex in Paynesville City outside Monrovia with the Sierra Leone team winning four trophies out of the six with Guinea and Liberia receiving one trophy each The best team ranking went to Sierra Leone followed by Guinea and Liberia respectively.
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