While there may not have been a pot of gold waiting at the finish line, Stephen Swanton, Jerry Remie, Mario Peters, Troy Holloway, and Enid Francis certainly struck gold with their victories in yesterday’s Pot O’ Gold Road Race, which was hosted by the Virgin Islands Cycling Federation.
The race began and ended at the Ha’Penny pillars along St. Croix’s Southside Road. Competitors in all categories faced the same 7-mile course, which took them west to a turnaround near Cane Garden, back through the start area, then to another turnaround at Castle Nugent before returning to Ha’Penny.
In the Elite race, a small but competitive field stayed together for the first five laps of their seven-lap event. On the sixth lap, Stephen Swanton made his move, creating a 23-second lead over Alex Betancourt and a four-minute gap ahead of his wife, Robin Seila. From that point, each rider maintained their position to the finish. Stephen claimed victory in the 49-mile race with a time of 2:23:33, followed by Alex in 2:25:03, and Robin securing third in 2:32:03.
The Expert category saw an unpredictable and exciting competition with the inclusion of Scott “Moose” Marusa. The racers took turns leading through the first three laps of their five-lap contest. By the final lap, the leading group—Marusa, Xander Morales, Jerry Remie, and Wayne Nichols—pushed the pace, setting up for a thrilling sprint to the finish. Jerry, as he had confidently predicted before the race, powered across the line first in 1:48:40. Marusa edged out Morales for second, while Nichols dramatically slid across the finish in fourth place, all three finishing at 1:48:42. Esther Ellis, the sole female rider, completed the race in 1:53:39.
The Sport race was just as exciting. With only three laps to complete, there was no time for hesitation. Five of the seven riders were in contention at the finish, but it was Mario Peters who battled his nephew, Olani Vanterpool, for the gold. Both finished in 1:06:24, with Mario taking first place and Olani finishing second. Guy Augustin followed closely in third, just two seconds behind. Fifteen-year-old Logan Keys secured fourth place, while fellow 15-year-old Randy Williams made an impressive Sport category debut.
In the Masters division, also covering 21 miles, Troy Holloway set the pace early, breaking away on the second lap and maintaining his lead to win in 1:09:16. Angel Ventura followed in second with a time of 1:10:09, while Nelson Rojas finished third in 1:10:34.
Enid Francis continued her dominant performance in the Women’s category, taking control of the 21-mile race from the start and winning with a time of 1:18:10. Jackie Robak, making her season debut, rode alongside her encouraging friend, Catherine Seguin, and the duo finished in second and third place, respectively.
Looking ahead, the next event on the VICF calendar is the Two-Person Time Trial on March 30, held on the historic 6-mile airport loop. Expert and Elite riders will complete three laps (18 miles), while all other categories will tackle two laps (12 miles). Riders may partner with someone from a different category, but they must compete at the higher distance if they do so. For more info, please contact vicfsecretary@gmail.com.
