Umosen, Godwin win maiden Ride Abuja race

Godstime Umosen of Team Subsea and Osaretin Godwin of Team Edo won the professional men’s and women’s categories respectively at the inaugural Ride Abuja Cycling Race in Abuja. The 87-kilometre road race, organised by the 76 Cycling Club Abuja Roadies, took place on Sunday, October 4. It was sanctioned by the Cycling Federation of Nigeria and run under the rules of the Union Cycliste Internationale, and it brought together professional and recreational cyclists from Nigeria and abroad. Umosen completed the course in 2:01:18. His teammate Daniel Sunday was second in 2:01:19, while Isah Momoh of the Kaduna State Team was third in 2:03:43. Godwin won the women’s race in 2:09:11, one second ahead of teammate Divine Ogbe. Treasure Coxsen of Team Subsea was third in 2:09:13. The professional winners shared a prize purse of more than ₦6m. In the recreational categories, Hamza Abubakar, Marcus Wenz and Ayodimeji Olugbewasa took the top three places among the men, while Nadia Godis, Shakira Ige and Moonie Ophyong did so among the women. Ian Atfield, a staff member of the British High Commission who lives with a disability, completed the 87 kilometres on a recumbent handcycle. Related News 2027 Hajj: Ex-SGF urges improved services for Nigerian pilgrims Group urges men to fight patriarchy, gender-based violence ADC presidential campaign council for inauguration Friday — Official The technical director of the Cycling Federation of Nigeria, Mohammed Basheer, said the body would support efforts to turn the event into a national championship. He said this could give Nigerian cyclists the chance to earn UCI points, which are important for qualifying for the World Championships, Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games. The federation’s secretary-general, Joel Akinuwa, said the race followed UCI rules and was backed by medical personnel, security agencies, police and road barricades. Organising committee chairman Henry Okelue thanked partners and volunteers, while club captain Katka Gonyak said the turnout showed growing interest in competitive cycling. Organisers said the race would become annual and appealed to the Federal Capital Territory Administration for more support. Several cyclists called for safer roads. Germany’s Wenz cited poor road conditions, damaged drainage, missing manhole covers, traffic and unfavourable attitudes from some motorists, and urged the administration to improve cycling infrastructure. Kaduna-based coach Samaila Usman, who has developed more than 40 cyclists from grassroots to elite level, said such events help identify athletes who can represent Nigeria. He praised the registration process and management of the race, which he said compared well with competitions in Europe.