MARIGOT--Velo Club de Grand Case VCG announced the team that will contest the 2018 Tour of Guadeloupe that starts on August 3, 2018, at a press conference Tuesday evening.
This will be the ninth consecutive year that VCG is participating in the tour that finishes on August 12. No individual VCG rider has won the tour outright so far, the best finish being just shy of the podium in fourth place. However, they have won the King of the Mountains jersey and won Best Team in the past and second-best team in 2017.
VCG President St. Elmo Arnell described just how difficult it has been to resurrect the club and regroup all the club members and riders after Hurricane Irma.
“At best it was very shaky for a while, but I have to thank the parents for their tremendous support and encouragement,” he said. “It’s thanks to them that we have most of the children back and its evident from the races we’ve just had that everything is getting back to normal.”
Whether a senior team could be assembled for the Tour of Guadeloupe was also in doubt, however, the club was able to track down the main team riders who were fortunately able to commit to the tour this year and support VCG.
“After the hurricane there was a lot of negativity in the media about VCG not coming back, and yes we did lose some riders, but some really wanted to stay with us, for example Olivier Curier who also convinced Ludovic Turpin to stay,” explained VCG co- founder René Arnell. “It has been a very difficult year, but that said we did win last year three of the five other big races, the Grand Prix du Conseil Departmental, the Warren Errin Memorial Race and the Grand Prix de La Ville de Trés Rivires.”
The six-man team for the Tour comprises Ludovic Turpin, Jason Rousseau, Olivier Currier, Allain Peramet and the two Colombian riders Eva Rivera Guerrero and Hernan Dario Parra Suarez. Turpin won the tour of Guadeloupe in 2012, but not with VCG and in subsequent years he has been the VCG leader.
The latter two Colombians have been VCG riders since 2015 even though they are based in Colombia. Parra Suarez is a proficient climber while Eva Rivera is more of an all-rounder and both work well together.
Cycling fans are already familiar with seasoned pro Turpin and local French Quarter boy Rousseau both of whom are mostly racing in France, but Arnell would like to see the Colombians get more exposure as they are also solid VCG riders representing the club and the island.
Some 25 teams and around 170 riders will be on the start line for the Tour of Guadeloupe. As Arnell observed, in Guadeloupe cycling supporters expect to see VCG as they are one of the most prominent teams.
“The team is ready and well prepared,” he assured. The riders and support team will be going down to Guadeloupe as of today for final preparations.
VCG thanked all the sponsors for sticking by the club and making it possible to send a team to the Tour of Guadeloupe.
