Jamaica’s elite cyclists set for Caribbean Championship showdown in Belize

The squad includes 19-year-old Jaequan Dixon and 25-year-old Melvin McFarlane, both representing the Elevation Cycling Club in Old Harbour. They are joined by the lone female competitor, Llori Sharpe, the defending regional champion, and Andrew Ramsay, a former national champion regarded as one of Jamaica's most in-form elite riders.

The championship, organized by the Cycling Federation of Belize (CFB) in collaboration with the Caribbean Cycling Union, will see over 70 top cyclists from 15 nations battle for supremacy across two gruelling events. The Individual Time Trial (ITT) is scheduled for Saturday, October 11, on the Burrell Boom–Hattieville Road, followed by the Road Race on Sunday, October 12, on a circuit starting and finishing near the Puma Service Station, utilizing the John Smith Road and Boom–Hattieville loop.

For the Jamaican contingent, the event represents a critical opportunity to earn valuable ranking points and potentially qualify for the 2026 Caribbean and Central American (CAC) Games in Santo Domingo.

Leading Jamaica's charge is Melvin McFarlane, who punched his ticket to the championship by winning his first national title this past June. This marks the biggest event of his budding career, which began just three years ago in 2021.

He is joined by the young gun, Jaequan Dixon. The Old Harbour Glades resident is a three-time national junior champion and the reigning national under-23 champion. No stranger to international competition, Dixon previously finished fourth at the 2022 Caribbean Championships in the Dominican Republic and also competed in the 2023 PanAm Games.

The Jamaican delegation is headed by coach Carlton Simmonds. 

The flat and windy Belizean course is expected to favour powerful sprinters, setting the stage for what promises to be a thrilling battle to the finish line. The Jamaican team will face stiff competition, however, notably from Belize’s own Cory Williams, who is seeking a third consecutive hold on the crown, and his teammate Derrick Chavarria, the reigning under-23 Caribbean champion aiming to defend his title.

Jamaica has had its share of success in the Caribbean’s premier competition in the sport with Horace McFarlane winning the inaugural showpiece in 2001. More than a decade later Marloe Rodman brought home the coveted title after dominating the 2015 edition. 

With the women’s race set for two laps and the men’s for three, the stage is set for a spectacular display of Caribbean cycling talent, with Jamaica’s elite riders poised to make their mark.