Butler tops field in mountain bike race

Good evening I’m James Adderley and we certainly want to thank you for joining us for this fresh dish of Sports Monday. We take you immediately to La Democracia at mile thirty-one on the Western Highway for the start of the 2001 Placencia Mountain Bike Classic on Saturday.

Unfortunately folks, this is not a meeting of minds as Santino’s Steve Nuejack has to accept the fact that only one foreigner will be allowed to ride for the Santino team and that would be defending champion Chris Fredericks. (Nuejack and officials argue)

This brings us to this solitary figure on a lonely ride as the American takes off in disgust.

So here’s the official start of the race and some thirty riders off on the coastal road to Placencia, a distance of some ninety-two miles.

The first five miles sees Francisco “The Animal” Flores make a good run. To give you an idea of how rough the road really is, watch the pelathon avoid a piece of metal on the road, causing a two man pile up. Both riders would return to the pelathon.

Nevertheless “The Animal” gets reeled in here with Chris Fredericks doing most of the chasing. A two man breakaway featuring Fredericks and Orson Butler try to make a run for it, but they get tracked down by Mateo Cruz and Shane Vasquez to make it a four man lead.

At the Dangriga cut-off, its Fredericks and Butler in command although Jeffrey Zelaya has now joined Vasquez and Cruz in the chase. Very soon the lead pack numbers five.

So welcome to Hopkins Village where Jeffrey Zelaya takes the station prize rather easily. This is the turn into the Placencia road and the competition and dust begins to pick up as a couple in the lead pack begins to struggle.

Nevertheless, its Jeffrey Zelaya seizing the moment and has achieved something of a breakaway from the pack. But here comes a fork in the road. Which way to go Mr. Ramsey? Zelaya seeks helps, but help that rides him into a dead end–so he jumps off and carries his bike to the correct road.

The wondrous view of the beautiful Caribbean Sea tells the lead rider Jeffrey Zelaya that the big prize is near. However, these two riders, Butler and Fredericks are now hot on Zelaya’s tail.

This is the moment that Zelaya gets caught up by the chase pair, when he changes equipment.

It’s the sprint to the big finish and in a test of speeding skills, Orson Butler zips to the tape ahead of Zelaya to take the W. Chris Fredericks pulls up third, Shane Vasquez of Cayo fourth, Mateo Cruz of Santino, fifth. Big Mike Lewis, former Cross Country champion, rounds out the top six.

Now lets head to the City Centre, where Friday night, judgement day brought the BTL Nets face to face with the Data Pro Raiders in semi-pro basketball play.

It’s Chad Philips facing Kirk Smith at the tip off and we’re underway. Bart Sanchez quickly gets the Raiders going, sinking this baseline jumper. Keith Acosta goes strong to the hoop, but Kirk Smith plays great defence to halt his progress. But Acosta nevertheless gets going, knocking down this long two and then converting the three-point opportunity.

In fact, Acosta literally lights up striking for this in your face three on the very next possession. The long pass from Frank Lord finds the American Chad Philips and he abuses Darren Bovell for two points.

Acosta then finds Vince “The Postman” Estrada unattended and he rolls downcourt for the easy left hand. At the other end Kirk Smith makes a strong move in paint and make it looking good.

Downcourt Keith Acosta decides to display his strength and he comes up with an impressive show. And then Chad Philips shows his range as he strikes for three. Philips would finish with twenty-three points. At the half it’s a twenty-one point BTL lead.

In second half the Raiders try to come back. Lloyd Leslie hangs and goes glass for two. Fabian Pittman the point guard wants three and gets three. Kirk Smith comes up with this rebound in heavy traffic and he knocks it down–he would finish with twelve points. Bart Sanchez then goes long for three, he would lead the Raiders with eighteen points.

The BTL lead is down to ten points. It’s the closest the Raiders would get when Vince Estrada blows the lay up, Keith Acosta follows up with the two handed jam. Acosta would finish with the game high thirty-two points as BTL Nets goes on to post the 91-73 big W. Many see that as a big surprise.

In football news, BFL playoff action saw Real Verdes hurt Metro Stars championship ambitions with a 3-2 win on penalties. Kulture Yabra made the Belize City fans proud by blanking Juventus 3-zip yesterday at the People’s Stadium. Congratulations to Yabra, who are in the championship round. Meanwhile Belmopan’s Builders Hardware Bandits kept its dreams alive by mashing Sagitun 3-1.

Yup, it’s still a three-way race, but you know it’s never over till it’s over.