The first ever pro-am mountain bike (MTB) stage race in Haiti organized by Mountain Bike (MTB Ayiti), concluded Saturday February 2, with an awe-inspiring finish.

This was a three-stage course, the American Sonya Looney [30th World Championship] dominated the race, winning two stages outright to take first in the overall General Classification with a total time of 6:41:49. Second place was won by Joseph Willy, a Haitian road bike champion participating in his first mountain bike race (+5:23). Marla Streb earned third place, with an impressive showing in the forest loops and a dominating descent (+30:41).

General Ranking :

1- Sonya Looney (USA)

2 - Joseph Willy (Haiti)

3 - Marla Streb (USA)

Ranking category Men :

1 - Joseph Willy (Haiti)

2 - David Wilcox (USA)

3 - Holrich Abnel (Haiti)

Ranking category Women

1 - Sonya Looney (USA)

2 - Marla Streb (USA)

3 -Jenny Fletcher (USA)

...

5 - Rosedanne Cadet (Haiti)

In total, 26 riders from 5 countries competed in the inaugural event, which started at the National Palace in Port-au-Prince, coursed through the high mountain passes and stunning views of La Visite National Park, and finished on the beach in Marigot, just feet from the Caribbean Sea. Racers covered 65 miles and climbed nearly 10,000 feet over two days. The most dramatic finish was the final stage, when Haitian racer Joseph Willy crossed the line first and was paraded on the shoulders of ecstatic spectators witnessing their first bike race.

A moving award ceremony capped off the race, as Haiti’s Minister of Youth, Sport, and Civic Action Magalie Racine joined the Minister of Tourism, Stephanie Villedrouin, to congratulate all of the participants and express their pride in the amazing performance of the local Haitian racers.

Two other notable performances were the team of Eric Miller and Paralympic athlete Brian Cowie, who completed the race on a tandem mountain bike, and Rosedanie Cadet, the only female Haitian rider.

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-7777-haiti-sports-haiti-s-first-ever-mountain-bike-race.html

BF/ HaitiLibre