Old Harbour cycling club to make second appearance at famous New York ride

The trio of Alton Duhaney, Jaequan Dixon and Donrick Fearon are already in the Big Apple preparing for the 125-mile course from Brooklyn’s Prospect Park to Montauk Lighthouse this Sunday, September 8.

Club president Velana Creary is elated.

“The members here are very excited. It’s a great opportunity for our organization and our youths… they need to be out there, they need to go different places, different areas to compete so they can be a better cyclists and a better person,” she said from New York. “It is a huge opportunity for us.”

Creary then added: “We are grateful to have a second chance again and we are looking forward for many more and for other clubs to invite us to their events. We have three riders here in New York, they came a little bit over a week now and they are excited to be here. They are excited to experience something different from what they are used to.”

Over 200 riders from all levels of the sport have been registered for the event now in its 18th season, according to Major Taylor Iron Riders Club President Dereka Hendon-Barnes. She noted though that extending an invitation to Elevation Cycling Club heightens the enthusiasm.

Hendon-Barnes said: “We are thrilled to have these young cyclists join us, their participation adds a unique and exciting dimension to the event, and we look forward to seeing them on the road and celebrating their achievements together.”

The Legends Ride to Montauk is one of the most important events on the Major Taylor Iron Riders calendar. It brings together hundreds of riders, mostly from the tri-state area, to commemorate the life of Marshall ‘Major’ Taylor, arguably the world’s first black sports superstar and the US Army 25th Infantry Bicycle Corps known as the ‘Iron Riders’.

Additional, which is in keeping with the club’s stated mission, the Legends Ride to Montauk also seeks to promote the joys, health benefits and togetherness of cycling.

Jaequan Dixon, the three-time and reigning Jamaica national junior champion, is making his second appearance at the event.

“This ride helps me to learn how to ride in a big group of riders from different countries and states. It taught me bike-handling skills and how to maneuver my bike in a particular way,” Dixon, 18, said. “I am really excited about my cycling journey and I am really excited to join this ride for the second time.”

In explaining the nature of the event, the organisers stated there will be three rest stops, roughly 40 miles apart to provide hydration and nutrition, while the pace of the one-way trip is projected to maintain average speeds between 19-25+ mph.