- Trouble in paradise Dominica vs The Bahamas a cycling saga
Dominica and the Bahamas have always maintained good relations; however, there was unrest in the form of friendly banter between the parents of two competitors during the 10th Annual Tour De Grand Bahama cycling race in Freeport, March 9 and 10 2024.
After The Bahamas’ Launy Duncombe finished second to Dominica’s Kohath Baron in the stage one time trial, Duncombe’s mother, Lorna Maxis, approached Levi Baron, Kohath’s father.
“You can’t have your baby beating my baby,” Maxis said, pointing at Levi, who’s also Kohath’s coach.
Levi was startled and at a loss for words but quickly realized Maxis was being playful.
The Tour De Grand Bahama is a three-stage annual event consisting of a three-mile Prologue and a Criterium Road Race on day one. The final stage takes place on day two, with distances varying by category.
The banter continued into the event’s second stage, the Criterium road race. Before the start, Maxis would occasionally point at her eyes with two fingers and then point at Levi and Kohath, indicating, “I’ve got my eyes on the two of you.”
Kohath, who rides in the Under 23 category, and Duncombe, who rides in the junior category, dominated the Criterium road race. Kohath again took first place overall, and Duncombe was second.
“I honestly thought the competition was amazing,” Duncombe said. “Best performance I’ve ever put into a tour. Racing Kohath was amazing. It showed me all the stuff I have to work on.”
Remembering himself at 18, Kohath, who is 21, said he’s not surprised at the 16-year-old Duncombe’s ambitious spirit.
“Most young riders are…competitive; I expected that from him,” Kohath said. “He has good potential.”
After the Criterium race, Maxis, also the vice president of the Grand Bahama Cycling Association, once again approached Levi, who was uncharacteristically at a loss for words.
“Didn’t I tell you I don’t want your baby beating my baby?” She asked.
Levi was no match for Maxis, but Dominica prevailed since Kohath became the tour’s overall winner after finishing first in the third stage on day two.
The parents resolved their issues with no intervention from any superpower nations, and the Caribbean is at peace.
Levi and Kohath said they’re impressed with the tour’s organization and look forward to returning in 2025 with more Dominica cyclists competing.
“The event was well planned and ran smoothly,” Kohath said. “Down to the last detail.”
Maxis said a Grand Bahamian team visit to Dominica is not out of the question.
The Dominica Cycling Association may need to alert island authorities.
The saga continues.
