Trinidad and Tobago pedal to team sprint gold at Jr Pan Am Cycling Champs

TRINIDAD and Tobago rode to gold in the men’s team sprint event on day one of the Junior Pan American Track Cycling Championships, which pedalled off in Lima, Peru, on July 18.

The trio of Jelani Nedd, Javon Ramroop and Judah Neverson defeated Colombia’s Martin Gomez, Juan Jose Palacio and Camilo Yara Juan in the final, clocking a nippy 46.061 seconds to claim top position.

In the process, the TT team set a new national junior team sprint record.

Nedd rode the opening leg and gave TT an early lead. Ramroop, who contested the second leg, and Neverson the anchor leg, maintained Nedd’s early advantage to the end.

In the earlier preliminary round, TT qualified as the fastest team with a 46.790s clocking.

On day two, July 19, Ramroop and Nedd had a tough time in the opening round of keirin heats. The former placed fifth in heat one while the latter was sixth in heat two.

Both were forced to contest the repechage round in an attempt to seal a final shot at second-round qualification.

Additionally, TT’s lone female cyclist at the meet, Kyra Williams advanced as the fifth fastest qualifier in the opening round (flying 200m) of women’s sprint qualification.

Williams clocked 12.063s, with Colombia’s Valeria Hernandez (11.227s) and Mariana Perez (11.595s) and Venezuelan Michell Manzi (11.609s) securing the top three fastest qualifying times.