Another New Year’s Classic and foreigners win again

Good Evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.

Folks we head north to the Santa Elena Border for the 21^st running of the New Years Cycling Classic by Krem. On this New Years Day 86 elite riders are in the hunt for the glory including 6 Mexicans, 2 Costa Ricans, 1 Venezuelan and 2 Guatemalans. Missing from the roster is the defending champion Carlos Hernandez of Guatemala who was unable to make it in 2011.

With the signal from the technical director, Melvin Torres, the cyclists blast off for the 92 miles that would that would take them from the Santa Elena Border to Central American Boulevard here in Belize City. With many unknowns in the relathon, the feeling process begins in earnest as the race heads to Corozal Town. A couple miles outside of Corozal, this 5 man break has extricated itself from the main bunch; namely Angel Tzib, Allen Castillo, Nissan Arana, Hose Choto and Chris McNish. We must say that this is the textbook way to engineer a breakaway. And here they are entering the northernmost town in the jewel boasting a mile lead. At San Joaquin, Chris McNish steps out of the 5 to grab the 2^nd station prize of the event. We’re at the Libertad junction and the lead 5 remain intact pushing a pace of some 28 miles per hour. We take this look at the relathon as it takes the curve at the Libertad junction and indeed everybody is still within striking distance.

However, when we catch up with the breakaway at San Pablo, Angel Tzib has been dropped and in fact the 2 Costa Ricans—Marco Salas and Juan Rojas—and the Guatemalan, Luis Santizo have joined the frontrunners who now total 7. Meanwhile, Commissioner Kwane Scott informs that the lead is 1:43 as we head into Orange Walk Town. Folks inside Orange Walk, the alliance of 7 experience severe rupture when the sprint for the $1000 prize at the Stop Gas Station gets underway. Nissan Arana on the left side of your screen grabs the lead—the challenge comes from Allen Castillo but it’s the O.W. rider of Team Typhoon who grabs the money.

Unfortunately folks, the sprint at Suga City sees the breakaway reduced to a pair as Marco Salas and Juan Rojas, the Costa Ricans riding for benny’s Megabytes have stormed to the lead. Around mile 35, the lead duo have sprinted a lead of 5mins 53 seconds which might have been manageable had it not been these 2 Costa Rican riders, fresh from the Vuelta de Costa Rica.

At mile 20 Salas and Rojas forget for a minute that they are teammates as they battle for the station prize or was just giving us a show. By the time the race reaches Lord’s Bank junction, the hope of a Belizean winner has effectively disappeared as the Costa Rican take a 10 minute lead. As the race flashes pass the Benny’s Complex on the Northern Highway, the only intrigue is whether it will be Salas or Rojas to grab the title.

Rolling to the finish line at the Belcan Bridge ascend the Costa Rican holds hands in show of camaraderie.  As a result the judges had to go to the cameras to determine that Marco Salas had beaten his Benny’s Megabytes and Costa Rican compatriot Juan Rojas for the 2010 New Year’s title. This duo grabbed 22 of the 25 station prizes offered.

In the meantime, 17 minutes later the 2006 Cross Country Champion and the 2007 New Year Day Champion Shane Vasquez of Strum Spirit crosses the finish line uncontested for distant 3^rd place. Allen Castillo of Zamir pulls up for 4^th place, Herman Ochaeta of Santinos takes 5^th place while Henry Morriera, riding unattached, rounds out the top 6.

Of the 84 that started, only 46 riders finished.  The next big event is set for February 13^th and is called the Digicel Valentine Classic.

In the female race Shalini Zabaneh further consolidated her dominance in this class in 2 hrs 54:43m sweeping all 17 station prizes finishing 23 ½ minutes ahead of Patricia Chavaria who placed 2^nd while Althea Sutherland took 3^rd.

John Quintal of Depredadores Mexico took the Jr. Class with Giovanni Lovell of Indeco and Austin Armstrong of Twin Town Cycling finished 2^nd and 3^rd respectively.

At the Master Class, Credy Ramos of Depredadores beat his teammate David Balaam while Barney Brown of FT Williams took 3^rd.

In football news, play in the Caribbean Motors Cup saw San Felipe edge Griga United 3 to 2 while Toledo Ambassadors beat Hankook Verdes on penalty kicks after 120 minutes of scoreless football.

Finally folks we’ve got a 10 fight boxing card coming your way on February 19^th inside the Belize Biltmore Plaza as Leopold Smart’s Gym looks for revenge against the Mexican Boxing Team from Chetumal Mexico.  Both camps asked for more time to prepare and now the countdown begins.