WINTER HAVEN, Fla.—Cyclists come from far afield to contest the various races of the Chain of Lakes Cycling Classic each spring.
Proof of this can be found in the winner of the culminating race of the weekend, Sunday’s Pro 1/2 criterium: Oshane Williams from Galiz Cycling Team, came all the way from Jamaica to compete in early-season races in the U.S. Besides winning the crit, Williams also finished sixth in the road race the day before.
Williams, 22, has been cycling competitively for a decade, and racing with Galiz for the past three years. He plans to return to his native country in April, where he will be representing Jamaica in the Caribbean Track Championships.
The young Jamaican pro used his experience to plan his winning strategy: he waited mid-pack while a single rider tried an impossibly long solo attack, then joined a strong counter-attack when it formed. Williams conserved his energy, then exploded in the last two hundred meters to win by a bike’s length.
