IRONSHORE, St James — After what he claimed was a creditable performance in last weekend’s fourth edition of the three-stage Jamaica International Cycling Classic (JICC) held in western Jamaica, top local cyclist Andrew Ramsay is headed for Trinidad and Tobago for more competition.

The 2025 Jamaica International Cycling Classic featured riders racing from Montego Bay to Trelawny and St Ann, from last week Friday to Sunday.

The 26-year-old Ramsay, a member of AVR Racing team, hopes the experience he gained last weekend will help him in a number of professional events.

“I’m leaving here [in] maybe another week to go to Trinidad to do some international racing, and this tour, it’s a good build-up for me,” he told the Jamaica Observer.

He was one of 17 Jamaican riders who started the event on Friday, among more than 80 riders from 20 countries including two teams from cycling hotbed Colombia, the United States, Canada, the Cayman Islands and Belize.

Ramsay was the top Jamaican, finishing 31st out of 54 cyclists who completed the course and with a time of 7:38.43 hours, eight minutes and five seconds behind the winner Colombian Sergio Henao Montoya of the Nu Colombia cycling team.

He was 13th after the first stage — from Ironshore to Falmouth and back — in 2:47.49; 21st in stage two to Discovery Bay in St Ann and back in 2:37.53; and was 34th on the third stage to Duncans and back in 2:13.00.

Ramsay, who won the High Mountain race as a preparation for the JICC, was asked whether he had achieved his goals.

“Sort of, I was able to stay with the guys. I just need more international exposure racing at a high level, [though] I’m not really far off…” he said.

He said the event was a boost to the sport in Jamaica.

“In Jamaica we don’t get to race at a high level very often so this event is really good to push us up for international events,” Ramsay said.

Dr Wayne Palmer, president of the Jamaica Cycling Federation and part of the organising committee, said next year’s Jamaica International Cycling Classic could be expanded to a four-stage race.

Palmer, who said he graded this year’s event “a solid eight” out of 10, added that organisers want to have more local riders involved, possibly even a Jamaica team.

— Paul A Reid