80th Cross Country remains nation’s biggest sporting event

Despite a cycling calendar that grows more crowded each year, this weekend’s race remains king, not only of cycling but all Belizean sporting events. News Five’s Janelle Chanona takes a look at its past and future.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
Bright and early on Holy Saturday morning, the eightieth running of the Cross Country Cycling Classic will set off on its historic journey on the Western Highway. It’s a race that pits technology against tradition … brains over brawn … and passion above paycheck. Many will try but only one will win.

The last Belizean to wear the garland was Shane Vasquez in 2006, when he simultaneously broke four years of foreign domination and won the hearts of every red, blue and white blooded Belizean.

Emil Moreno, Manager, Team Western Spirit
“2007 was even more emotional for him I think. But because of slight little problems he had on his bicycle. We have rectified that and we hope that this year Shane will represent Belize in this cross country.”

Marlon Castillo is billed as Belize’s best cyclist but he has never worn the Cross Country garland. After a strong performance in this year’s M&M Tour and convincing wins in both the Valentine and Belmopan classics, his sponsor is confident Marlon will be blessed this weekend.

Santino Castillo, Sponsor, Team Santino
“Everyone knows that where Belize is concerned, you could win all the classics, M&M Tour of Belize, everything but if you don’t win Cross Country you name will never be recognized as Champ … and be called that by Belizeans weh deh pass “Champ”. You have to win Cross Country and he knows that.”

In the 2007 race, fifth place Roger Troyer was the best ranked Belizean.

This year the twenty-seven year old from Esperanza believes his preparations over the last twelve months and the support of his team will ensure he’s in the running on the home stretch.

Troyer’s athletic career began in basketball and football but at age seventeen he bought his first bike and started living his childhood dream.

Roger Troyer, Cyclist, Team Santino’s
“I’d say like seven years old we used to always listen to the Cross Country on the radio and at that time my heroes were the Lewis brothers and we’d, even my sister and my little brother, we’d race on our bikes, our BMXs and we’d name ourselves after these guys and race around the farm. And I was just always fascinated with cycling and it’s something that you can do on your own, although you need a team, but the ultimate outcome is how much you put into it.”

All cyclists acknowledge the grueling discipline and dedication it takes to become a winner. But Troyer’s routine is bolstered by the fact that his girlfriend, Shalini Zabaneh, is also a competitive rider.

Roger Troyer
“To tell you the truth I think that’s one of the biggest supports that you can have. Somebody that understands what you’re doing, loves to ride as well because if she didn’t understand, my dedication and everything would be put to the test, our relationship wouldn’t be as good as it is. We feed off each other and encourage each other and she pushes me to train hard because she wants me to do well and I do the same for her.”

Byron Pope, Cyclist, Team Benny’s Megabytes
“Train hard, stay out of trouble, stay pan the road, eat bike, sleep bike and live bike.”

At a time when most of his peers are concerned about street reputations, eighteen year old Byron Pope has quietly asserted himself as a cyclist to be reckoned with. He’s known victory as a junior but on Saturday the young rider hopes to join the elite circle of the sport.

Byron Pope
“From I know myself as a lee bway and my pa deh ride, I always deh ‘round cycling and ting and I seh I have to be wah cyclist and I haffu to be wah good one.”

But on Saturday, Pope will compete against the man who got him into cycling … his father.

Byron Pope
“When me and my dad are out there we are like enemies, we are no friends so I just have the respect for him home and when we are out there we are warring against each other.”

Janelle Chanona
“That easy fu let go?”

Byron Pope
Ih no easy fu see yuh pa deh tek pain or fu see he deh put me unda pressure sometime he have pity pan me but I no wah have no pity pan he since he da the father.”

But while young men and women are looking up to cyclists like Byron Pope, the challenge for the Belize Cycling Association is to restore the race to its former glory.

Kenrick Halliday, 4-Time Cross Country Champion
“People used to feel so happy with their champion, they would lift you up, back you. You no touch ground till somebody come and seh we need wah lee comment pan the radio.”

Today’s cyclists compete to have the lightest bikes and the toughest teams but when Kenrick Halliday rode in the 1970s, the race was about which individual rider had the fastest legs and the strongest heart.

Kenrick Halliday
“The road mi gravel, all the way from Hattieville to Cayo and back. Up to seventy-eight, the road just finish up to like fifty, Roaring Creek … smooth go and come to Roaring Creek. The rest dah gravel. Mount Hope was like river run, big four inch stone and we had to use like weh the vehicle run dah the best part of the road so if they grade it, it get worse.”

Halliday doesn’t compete anymore but he still rides for fitness. As he watches the Cross Country from the sidelines, he says patriotism should always come first.

Kenrick Halliday
“The best of best get together and seh well let’s team up because these guys di talk to each other and they planning thing. So we all get together and after they out, now we stop talk, the Belizean, everybody to deh own.”

Since organizers of the Holy Saturday race allowed foreigners to ride in 1987, the impact of international cyclists has been a constant source of controversy in the sport. Patriots feel the event should be Belizean-only. Enthusiasts say the visiting competitors push cycling to another level.

Roger Troyer
“Most Belizeans have to work and get up real early in the morning and train so that’s a big disadvantage to us but hopefully in the future our sponsors will see that and maybe the Sports Council or somebody will be able to support a National Team or something like that so we can be more competitive.”

Santino Castillo
“I think that any Belizean that wins Cross Country wants to win it with the foreign competition or else he’ll be called paper champ, you win it when no American and no foreigners were in so yes I believe that the foreign competition has done well for the sport and I think a Belizean can easily win it if the variables are right, he has a good team, it’s not like a certainty that a foreigner will win.”

Joseph Whitman, Cyclist, Team Western Spirit
“It’s early in our season for sure. It’s a big race though and I don’t think any guys come down here just for the training. As soon as they get on the start line, it’s definitely a race and they definitely all want to win.”

Janelle Chanona
“Come Saturday Belizean cyclists will face off with each other and those foreign participants. They’ll probably encounter strong winds, oppressive heat and maybe even a little rain. Anyone who even survives this race is deserving our accolades. And that’s why it’s heart-breaking to see support for the sport waning.”

Kenrick Halliday
“When you hear ten thousand people in the stadium, you have all the way on the boulevard, people like crazy, all the way on the highway, people jam. People get up five o’clock in the morning and out there like from here to five miles, crowd. It’s not like that now.”

While controversy and cycling are like two pedals on a bicycle, every year is an opportunity to improve the sport. Even at this eleventh hour organisers are still soliciting support from the business community for prizes but they’re also hoping the public will turn out in massive numbers to witness this year’s finish on the Marine Parade on Saturday afternoon. Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.

That new venue near Memorial Park was necessitated by the construction taking place at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex. The cyclists we spoke to would like to express their thanks to all those sponsors offering prizes and support to the riders and teams.