Teniel Holds Her Own

Urged on by a note of encouragement from Sports Minister Shamfa Cudjoe, local road queen Teniel Campbell was much improved in the demanding road race at the UCI World Championships over in Imola, Italy on Saturday. After Thursday's disappointing ride in the Elite Time Trial, where she finished in 36th place in a time which she frowned at, Campbell was spurred on by a big show of support from Minister Cudjoe who reminded her that there will be tough days along the way, but to persevere and pray and better days will come. She must have heard the Minister as she produced a much-improved performance in the demanding 143-kilometre grind, which included some steep, demanding climbs, and sharp and fast declines, which resulted in several spills. But in the end, Campbell was in a bunch that finished 14 minutes and one second behind the winner, clocking four hours, 23 minutes and 58 seconds. The winner was Holland's dynamo Anna van der Breggen, who completed the double after also winning the Time Trial on Thursday, to become only the second person, male or female, to double up at the world championships, following the Frenchwoman Jeanine Longo, who did it in 1985.