The 2016 staging of the Jamaica Cycling Federation’s (JCF) Kingston Criterium will take over the streets of downtown Kingston, on Sunday, April 17 and the picturesque Kingston Waterfront will provide the backdrop for an intense day of cycling.

The action in the Kingston Criterium is scheduled to get under way at 1:00 pm. Registration for the event will begin on the morning of the event from 11:00 am – 1:00 pm.

The Kingston Criterium is a closed circuit event, which will see cyclists racing several laps to complete an event. The events will be contested based on categories including: women’s and men’s elite, masters’ and juniors’ categories. In addition to the respective categories, there will also be a kids’ sprint event. Cyclists will race along the circuit which comprises parts of Ocean Boulevard, Orange Street and Port Royal Street. There is also expected to be an all comers Rambo Race event, which will be a cash prize race for anyone brave enough to enter.

The Kingston Criterium is expected to feature some of Jamaica’s finest riders, including 2014 Commonwealth Games cyclist Marloe Rodman and former national representative Oneil Samuels.

Dr Wayne Palmer, head of the JCF Race Committee and overseer for the 2016 Kingston Criterium, is excited about the event as he expects it will be the beginning of rejuvenated efforts within Jamaican cycling and expects big things for the future of the sport.

“We are expecting a very exciting event. I think this has the potential to be one the most entertaining events undertaken by the cycling federation in recent years. The Criterium event is usually one which is filled with thrills and daring racing manoeuvres and that leads to a very enjoyable event from a viewing perspective. We will have most of our top riders involved, so it is gearing up to be competitive and we hope to use the momentum generated from the event to continue our push to bring cycling back to the forefront of sporting events in Jamaica,” said Palmer.

Jamaica has had good international success recently, mostly in the form of top rider, national and Caribbean champion Marloe Rodman, who represented the nation at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Add to that the recent declaration of BMX ace, Maliek Byndloss to represent Jamaica in Rio and you can conclude cycling is on the rise. Byndloss is the current BMX National Champion and considered to be amongst the world’s elite in the BMX category. Thanks to his Jamaican roots, he is expected to sport the national colours at the upcoming Olympic Games.

The island has had good international success in cycling, with the ace in hand being a bronze medal performance by David Weller at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games in the 1KM Time Trial event. To date, that is Jamaica’s only medal outside of track and field at the Olympic Games.

The Jamaica Cycling Federation was established in the 1960s. The organisation was set up to help govern cycling as a sport in Jamaica in its competitive fields of Mountain Bike, Road, and Track. As the governing body of cycling, the JCF facilitates the organisation and development of the national team along with the effective growth and progression of cycling in Jamaica.

The Kingston Criterium will be the first marquee event of the Jamaica Cycling Federation’s 2016 calendar and is expected to deliver an entertaining day of racing with a steady diet of speed and thrills. The event is free to the public and commences at 5:00 pm.