The cycling team from Venezuela won the XIX Vuelta Ciclística Independencia Nacional, rated as the most important cycling tour in the Central American and Caribbean region. Some 120 cyclists from 15 countries participated in the 19th year of the competition that concluded in Santo Domingo on 27 of February, National Independence Day. The competition finished at the Avenida Charles de Gaule. Participants came from Germany, United States, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Martinique, Panama, Grand Cayman and Switzerland. The winners from Venezuela were Merchan Robinson, Omar Pumar, Alexi Mendez and Aldrin Salamanca, with a time of 75 hours and 23 minutes. Cyclists from Switzerland were second with 75 hours and 58 minutes. The Swiss competitors were Barnsley Aristopher, Daniel Van, Muller Rolan and Gul Roman. The Dominican team (Mauricio Báez), reinforced by Jose Flontscharistch, with Jorge Cordero, Santiago Genao and Richard Quezada, placed third with 76 hours and 28 minutes. Venezuelan cyclist Merchan Robinson was voted the most outstanding athlete of the event. He completed the seven stages of the event in a time of 25 hours and three minutes. He was followed by his teammate Omar Pumar, with 25 hours and six minutes. German Werner Jurgen, competing on the Alico team for the D.R., was third, with a time of 25 hours and 13 seconds. The D.R.’s Wendy Cruz, voted cyclist of the year in 1997, placed 10th with a time of 25 hours and 28 minutes. José Cruz, of the Montecarlo team for the D.R., won the last leg of the competition. FINAL STANDING BY INDIVIDUALS NAME TEAM TIME Robinson Merchan Venezuela 25:03:15 Omar Pumar Venezuela 25:06:10 Werner Jurgen Alico-DR 25:13:07 Barnsley Aristopher Switzerland 25:16:43 Alexis Méndez Venezuela 25:17:27 Van Daniel Switzerland 25:18:00 Jose Flontscharitsch Mauricio Báez-DR 25:20:06 Wittwer Marco Germany 25:20:32 Muller Roland Switzerland 25:22:40 Wendy Cruz Malta India-DR 25:28:43 FINAL STANDING BY TEAMS
