Annual Cross Country Classic on Saturday

All systems are in place for the eighty-first annual Cross Country Classic which kicks off on Holy Saturday. There are close to one hundred and twenty individual cyclists, an overwhelming number of foreign riders and twenty two teams, including the Guatemalan national team, that are competing for the coveted garland. When the bugle sounds at six in the morning in front of Leslie Imports on the Western Highway, the cyclists will ride away to San Ignacio, return and end at Memorial Park on Marine Parade, covering one hundred and forty grueling miles. For the past two weeks, we have been going behind the scenes of the race… and tonight Duane Moody has a look at the extensive organization in place by the Belize Cycling Association. President, Emil Moreno told us that the event has blossomed over the years and that they anticipate that a Belizean will take the trophy this year.

Emil Moreno, President, Belize Cycling Association
“This race is open for riders eighteen years and over so we won’t be having riders that are seventeen years of age partaking and for reason being that this race is over eighty miles long. It’s for that reason that those junior riders won’t be able to participate in this event. So far we have teams from the U.S., we have cyclists from the U.S., Cuban Cyclists, we have Costa Rican cyclists, have Mexican cyclists, we also have tentatively a Nicaraguan but he has sent in his name. He is participating. A total of, basically, a hundred and seventeen riders including Belizeans and of that thirty-two point five percent should be foreign riders riding the event.”

Duane Moody
“Has that number increased over the years of foreigners competing?”

Emil Moreno
“We’ve had—I would believe so, yes, it has been increasing. We want to also extend out that we would like drivers on the Western Highway on Saturday morning to be very cautious. We would appeal that big trucks and heavy equipment traveling that route to please give us a break for us to maneuver our way through and try not to cause any havoc for us along the way.”

Duane Moody
“I know you guys have your anticipations as to who you feel will take the trophy this year. Do feel Belizeans are going to take it this time around?”

Emil Moreno
“I believe so. We have riders that are competing to that level. We have shown it I the past, we have come up a little bit shot picking up third places in some of the events that foreign riders have participated in. It’s basically just planning. In the past I was a manager on a team and we’ve won this event twice already; one with a foreigner and one with a Belizean.”