Trinidad and Tobago’s top cyclist, Nicholas “Nico” Paul, expressed satisfaction with his dominant performance at the recently concluded Speed Paradise and Carnival of Speed events, as the twin-island republic’s riders reaped significant rewards on the global stage.

Competing on home soil at the National Cycling Centre in Couva, Paul led a charge of Trinidad and Tobago riders who surged up the UCI world rankings following the UCI Class One meet, which featured riders from 14 countries who vied for critical qualification points toward major international events like the World Championships.

Paul, who was unmatched in the Elite sprint events, captured gold in both the sprint and keirin disciplines, as he further cemented his position among the sport’s elite. His performances helped him rise from eighth to fourth in the world sprint rankings.

“The three days of racing were at a high level. There were a lot of international riders and also some very talented young riders from Trinidad and Tobago. So I would say overall it was a great event. Coming away with three gold medals is a plus, but it was even better to race in front of the home crowd," Paul told the Express.

According to event organiser Robert Farrier, the meet successfully delivered on its goal of boosting the international standing of Trinidad and Tobago cyclists.

"Our athletes were able to move up numerous spots in their world ranking. Nicholas Paul jumped from eighth to fourth, Njisane Phillip moved up to 25 from the 30s, and Kwesi Browne, who hadn’t competed internationally this year, leaped from the 250s to 90," Farrier shared.

Akil Campbell, who improved from 45th to 23rd; Alexi Ramirez, who climbed from 69th to 39th; and Makaira Wallace, who jumped from 50th to 36th, were the other local riders that made significant strides.

Farrier also welcomed the feedback from international competitors, which was overwhelmingly positive.

"We got numerous messages from the athletes. They talked about the excellent food that they sampled; the racing was a good experience for them, well organised, so there were very good comments. Some of the first-time visitors were amazed to know that this is the kind of facility we have here," he said.