Teniel Campbell wins double gold at Caribbean Road Champs

Top women’s Trinidad and Tobago cyclist Teniel Campbell made it a clean sweep at the Caribbean Elite Road Cycling Championships, following up her win in the time trial with a victory in the women’s road race in Belize, on October 12.

Teniel topped the field of 17 cyclists in what was a test of stamina in the 112.5K trek.

The TT rider ended in three hours, six minutes and 20 seconds (3:06:20), 31 seconds ahead of second-placed Gabriella Arnold of Bermuda who finished in 3:06:51.

Cuban cyclist Evelyn Diaz Matos was third in 3:07:59, Berenice Paul of Guadeloupe was fourth in 3:09:54 and Jamaican Llori Sharpe rounded off the top five in 3:19:53. Seven of the starters did not complete the journey.

In the men’s race, TT’s Jadian Neaves was third (seventh overall) in the Under-23 category in 3:50:40. The 160.4K race ended in a sprint between the cyclists who ended between fourth and tenth place. Hometown boy Derrick Chavarria and Cuban Jose Alberton Dominguez Gonzalez were first and second respectively in the Under-23 category, clocking the same time as Neaves.

In the men’s senior category, a trio of TT cyclists competed. Teniel’s brother Akil was 11th in that division in 3:53:18, Tariq Woods was 13th in 3:53:32 and Liam Trepte did not finish. The senior and Under-23 riders competed in the same race. A day earlier, Teniel was much sharper than her Caribbean peers in the time trial event as she clocked a time of 28 minutes, 39.4 seconds (28:39.4), with Jamaica’s Sharpe finishing more than three minutes back in 31:58 to grab silver.

Bermuda’s Arnold placed third in 32:14.4.

Meanwhile, Akil finished outside of the medals in the men’s individual time trial when he clocked 42:37 to place fifth. Bermuda had a one-two finish in the men’s time trial, with Nicholas Narraway (39:25) and Conor White (40:12) finishing first and second, respectively. Puerto Rico’s Christopher Morales-Fontan was third in 41:17, Belize’s Cory Williams fourth in 41:44.

Trepte placed tenth in 47:44.