Barbados’ track cyclist, Amber Joseph (centre), won gold in the women’s 10km Scratch Race at the 2021 Elite Pan American Track Cycling Championships, which are currently taking place in Peru. Third place was secured by Alexi Costa of Trinidad and Tobago (right).
AMBER WINS GOLD!
Taking the lead with two laps to go, Barbadian cyclist Amber Joseph went flat out, showing her speed and stamina to win gold in the Scratch race at the 2021 Elite Pan American Track Cycling Championships in Peru on Friday.
Jamol Eastmond rode away with the silver in the men’s Scratch race, which was won by Trinidad and Tobago’s Akil Campbell.
Joseph had a slight lead with a lap and a half to go in the race as she held the inside. Mexico’s Victoria Velasco Fuentes tried to come up on her shoulder as the bell sounded for the final lap and the two went head to head. But Joseph had more to give, moving out to a half bike lead with 3/4 of the lap still to go.
It was here Joseph never let the Mexican back into the race, holding the sprinter’s lane and her advantage to the line but ensuring to give the lunge to capture the gold medal in the sprint, which was contested by nine riders.
Third place went to Alexi Costa from Trinidad and Tobago, who finished strong to narrowly capture the bronze.
Joseph also finished fourth in the recently introduced Elimination race, which started with 10 rides. She is also slated to compete in the Points race and the Omnium, which is four bunch events on the same day. The four races in the Omnium are the Scratch; the Tempo race, which the first rider across the line after five laps each time and 20 points for the overall winner; the Elimination race, which eliminates the last rider after every two laps; and the Points race.
Jamol Eastmond was involved in a breakaway from the pack early, which was him and the rider from Guatemala. These two were joined by the Trinidad rider Akil Campbell with 22 laps to go. It was then that the three riders stayed away from the rest of the pack until the end and the sprint for the win was between Eastmond and Campbell, which started with a lap to go.
Also competing at the Pan American Track Cycling Championships is Edwin Sutherland, who was fifth in the Elimination race and is also slated to contest the Points race and the Madison. Eastmond is scheduled to compete in the Omnium and the Madison.