Valuable Experience Gained at Commonwealth Games

129 riders took on the road race with all three Cayman Cycling athletes – Victor Magalhaes, Nathaniel Forbes and Michael Testori – on the start line. The task was a mammoth one – to hang with some of the best riders in the world for over 160km at 7,000+ feet of elevation. A blistering pace was set from the start and unfortunately, the Cayman riders were among the 56 cyclists who suffered a mandatory 10 minute time cut after falling behind. Victor was the first to have to withdraw, still suffering the effects of his crash in the Individual Time Time a few days earlier. Nathaniel worked hard with a small group but succumbed to an incomplete race. Michael stayed with the fast-moving main peloton for several laps before also being forced to end his day. All three athletes remained in good spirits after the race and welcomed the new experience they gained competing at an extremely high level of cycling.

After a truly memorable 2022 Commonwealth Games alive with atmosphere and excitement, we wanted to give a heartfelt thanks to our Cayman Cycling family – athletes Victor Magalhaes, Nathaniel Forbes and Michael Testori, Coach Ken Gokool and Team Manager Gareth Van Den Bergh. As the saying goes, “teamwork makes the dream work,” which was certainly the case with the preparation for and competition in the cycling events. The determination and dedication of our athletes was unmatched. They worked hard for months prior to the Games to do their best to represent Cayman. Equally, so much goes into the journey before an athlete hits the start line and our coach, manager and board members all worked tirelessly, often behind the scenes, to ensure the experience was a memorable one for our athletes. For smaller nations at major games, the knowledge gained and the memorable moments are often more valuable than the final results. We look forward using our CWG experience to fuel ourselves in search of success in future Games and competitions.