Barbados’ junior national cycling team has delivered a once-in-a-generation performance at the 2024 Caribbean Junior Road Cycling Championships in Belize, securing an event-leading nine medals to finish atop the overall standings. Team manager Allan Kelly called the result the island nation’s strongest junior cycling showing in more than a decade, with the young riders exceeding every pre-competition expectation.
In an interview with Barbados TODAY from Belize ahead of the team’s scheduled return to the island on Tuesday, Kelly expressed shock and elation over the historic outcome. “We knew the calibre of riders we were facing here — many of the top competitors have taken part in international development camps, so we expected extremely fierce competition,” he explained. “To leave with nine medals and finish as the top overall nation across the entire championship? I’m absolutely blown away.”
Unlike past years when Barbados sent a small, select group of elite junior riders, the national federation opted to field a larger delegation for this year’s championship. That strategic choice paid immediate dividends: on the opening day’s time trial event, all five of Barbados’ competing riders won medals, a result Kelly described as “phenomenal.” The team’s winning momentum carried into Sunday’s road race, where the young Barbadians added another four medals to their total.
Kelly emphasized that this result marks a major milestone for Barbadian junior cycling, noting that the country has not achieved a medal haul of this scale in 10 to 15 years. “This is incredibly rewarding, and also very promising,” he said. “This feels like the start of something very big for our program.”
The team manager attributed the landmark success to two key factors: rigorous, consistent training for all riders and expanded international competition exposure for the program’s top prospects. Leading riders Alexis Lashley and Jonah Kelly anchored the team’s performance, with Jonah having spent the past several months training and competing in Belgium — the same base where many of his top rivals at the Caribbean championships were also based.
Kelly noted that cycling standards across the Caribbean have risen sharply in recent years, as more regional riders pursue international competition opportunities to sharpen their skills. “Caribbean riders have really upped their game across the board,” he said. “More of them are heading overseas to compete, to fight for podium spots, and we’ve taken the same approach. A lot of this success comes down to that international exposure and the solid, structured training programs we’ve put our athletes through.”
Lashley emerged as the breakout star of the championship for Barbados, taking home gold medals in both the time trial and road race events. Kelly said her dominant performance came as no surprise to the team’s coaching staff. “Alexis was incredibly confident going into both races — she knew she had the form and the talent to win, so she attacked from the opening moments and put in a remarkable ride,” he explained. “While this is a team achievement, she was undoubtedly the star of these championships, and we could not be prouder of her.”
Far from resting on this historic success, the Barbados Cycling Union and the team’s athletes are already laying the groundwork for long-term growth and future international wins. Kelly outlined a targeted junior development strategy running through 2027, focused on sending more young Barbadian riders to elite international competitions including the Pan American Championships. For his part, Jonah Kelly is continuing to pursue his professional development in Belgium, where he is currently vying for a spot on a junior professional development team that would allow him to compete in some of the world’s biggest junior cycling events.