There were two sides of the impregnable Shannon Lawrence on display at Bernard Park yesterday.

First, there was the fierce competitor who blew away the field to retain his Sinclair Packwood Memorial Race title by a landslide. Then, there was the softer, emotional side that paid a moving tribute to late relative Sherline Marie Elizabeth Dill-Lawrence who was laid to rest in the lead up to Bermuda’s premier cycling race.

“I dedicated my victory to my auntie who passed away recently,” Lawrence told The Royal Gazette. “I did the race for her and I’m just just glad for the victory. I was a bit emotional on the course.”

If Lawrence was emotional on the racecourse, he certainly did not show it.

The Team Tokio rider executed a smart, tactical race which was all but over at the seven mile mark after he charged to the front of the field and never looked back.

“I basically waited for the pack to slow down coming over Flatts Hill and then capitalised from there,” Lawrence said of his decisive break. “It was a good tactic and decision to make.”

With the peloton nowhere in sight, the race essentially boiled down to a time trial the rest of the way for the runaway express that was Lawrence.

“I time trial pretty well and that’s basically what I went into; time trial mode coming home,” he added. “It was hard to try and stay away from them [peloton] because obviously they can regroup and try and catch up. But I just put it all in and then maintained it going over the hills which hurt. I couldn’t really stand at times.

“The course with the tailwind was pretty fast and really is technical and challenging because of the amount of hills you have to go through to get to the finish line.”

Having won back-to-back titles, Lawrence is now on a hat-trick, a feat he deprived rival Dominique Mayho of twelve months earlier en route to his maiden Sinclair Packwood Memorial Race title.

Asked about the prospect of becoming only the second rider behind Kris Hedges to three-peat, Lawrence opted to stay in the moment.

“I haven’t even thought about that,” he said. “I’m just taking it step by step.”

Making it a one-two finish for Team Tokio was Lawrence’s team-mate David McComas while Darren Glasford of Winner’s Edge rounded off the podium in third.

Unlike their male counterparts, the battle for supremacy among the women came down to a four-bike sprint to the finish line where Williams ultimately prevailed.

It was a far cry from the Caribbean Cycling Championship medallist’s convincing victory the previous year.

“I had to fight a bit more plus we were working for Gabby [Gabrielle Arnold],” Williams said. “Karen Bordage is strong she knows tactics and how to race.

“We tried everything to keep her away but couldn’t because she came down to the finish with us.”

As for the new course, the Winner’s Edge rider said: “It’s very hilly and I can’t wait till next year because it’s not as hilly.

“It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. The hills hurt, but it didn’t hurt as bad maybe because of the wind direction which gave you a push over the hills.”

Team Tokio rider Bordage took second with third going to Madison/Digicel rider Sarah Bonnet who pipped Williams’ team-mate Arnold for the final spot on the podium.

Junior male honours went to Kaden Hopkins followed by Matthew Oliviera and Dylan Hill who rounded off the top three.

Erica Hawley was the top junior female with second and third going to Cassandra McPhee and Alyssa Rowse.