Oct. 19, 2006 – St. Croix cyclist Robert Bumann captured the silver medal in the Men's Individual Time Trial at this past weekend's Caribbean Cycling Championships. The championships were held on Tortola, with 38 of the finest cyclists in the region going head to head to determine the strongest rider. Time trial formats are set up so that each rider departs at one minute intervals, so no drafting tactics are employed. It is each man against the clock in the "race of truth."
The 20-mile course was essentially flat, but was filled with motorists, which added an unusual amount of traffic to a championship route. Bumann started in the 18th position, and quickly asserted his dominance as he caught the rider who started a minute ahead within five miles. From then on, it was pedal to the metal as he continued to pick off those who were in front. Bumann's time of 46:54 was a scant 13 seconds behind Bermuda's Kris Hedges, and bested Curacao's Juhan Vanderberg by nine seconds.
Bumann's medal winning performance is not unusual for the Virgin Islands Cycling Federation. In the past three Caribbean Cycling Championships, riders from St. Croix have garnered a total of three medals to go along with two fourth-place finishers. The VICF has a year long series of local races, which culminate with rigorous national championship and CCC qualifying races to determine the island's international representatives. This program has turned the V.I. into a regional powerhouse in the sport.
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