With the island returning to a state of normalcy and the green light given for competitive sports to resume, the Dominica Cycling Association (DCA) is gearing up for the staging of its 2020 cycling season.
President of the Dominica Cycling Association, Ronald Charles, has announced that the first race of the new season will commence this weekend after being given the go-ahead by the authorities.
“We are happy that we were able to receive the green light from the necessary authorities, the Police, and the Fire Services. So Sunday, July 26th, 2020 from 10 am in the morning, we will be at Ma Boyd’s Bar and the race will be from Ma Boyd’s Bar to Layou and back to Pointe Michel and back to Layou and the race ends at Ma Boyd’s Bar. In other words, we are going to Layou twice.
“There are different categories, the mountain bike, and the racers. Of course, the racers will do the longer version of the race. All those who want to join us can do so,” he stated.
Mr. Charles is urging all the cyclists to be punctual so as to facilitate a smooth registration process.
“We encourage all cyclists to be on time as you know there is an early two-hour head start and to register to make sure that everything is ok. We know that we have cyclists coming out from the Kalinago Territory and Calibishie and again we are urging them to come in early so that the necessary registration can be done,” Charles, an attorney at law further explained.
For Sunday’s race, all the necessary protocols as advised by the Ministry of Health are expected to be adhered to.
“We will be ensuring that the necessary protocols as established by the Ministry of Health as it relates to a pandemic will be followed. We are encouraging all cyclists to be very careful. Although we are clear of local cases, it does not mean that we cannot be revisited in Dominica.
“So, therefore, all the necessary precautions will be encouraged. Having said that, we will have the season end on September 6 and we are hoping to have our final race then. We are encouraging all cyclists to continue their training. I know that a lot of the cyclists were looking forward to getting the season opener and we all are looking forward to a wonderful race,” he concluded.