Lovell takes his third stage victory in M & M Tour
He’s not wearing the yellow jersey, but tonight Belizean cyclist Gregory Lovell is feeling on top of the world as this morning his sprint beat out a field of local and international competitors to claim his third stage win in the M and M Tour of Belize. News Five’s James Adderley has been following the excitement since the race began on Saturday.
James Adderley, Reporting
Another day brings another stage concluded in the monster M & M Engineering Cycling Tournament and today saw a massive field sprint to decide the winner of Stage IV.
Lined up in front of the pelathon before start time this morning is Miguel Perez in the sprinter’s green jersey; the race leader Bjorn Anderson in the yellow; Guy East is the mountain leader and best under twenty-three rider in white; Mike Miller, in red, as the best masters and Omar Cruz is the best category three, four and five rider heading into stage five.
Of the one hundred and twenty that started this nine stage tour on Saturday, only one hundred and three remain going into this morning’s fifty mile ride from Leslie’s Imports, through Hattieville, to the Burrell Boom junction at the Northern highway and back.
When the race rolls into the Boom road we’ve still got a more or less compact pelathon.
So, the Nicaraguan Walter Gaiten, riding for Roaring Creek Cycling Club, figures he can run it alone; of course at this level it just doesn’t happen that way.
At the turn-around point all of the one hundred and three riders remain in the thick of things.
By the time the race gets into the Hattieville environs, on the return, it’s a five-man lead featuring Alejandro Padilla, Jose Choto, Gabriel Epstein, Juan Manuel Lorenzana and Sherman Thomas.
Nevertheless, the main pack is determined today that these five would not get away when they pass the roundabout at Hattieville – and so the chase is on.
The lead five continues to roll like clock-work, thinking that since all five of them are at least three minutes behind the yellow jersey they wouldn’t be considered such a threat.
At the police checkpoint, around mile four, it’s still the big five and it appears it would be a five man battle for the stage five win.
However, this was simply not in the cards. Too many ambitions remained in the chase group and right at the curve to the finish line in front of Leslie’s Imports the magical re-amalgamation of the field occurs.
The white shirt to your right is Gregory Lovell. For a second day in a row, Miguel Perez responds to Lovell’s flash; for a second day in a row, Todd Hancock steps it up, but for a second day in a row Gregory Lovell of Santino’s wins the stage to make it three out of nine stages so far, and that’s big.
Todd Hancock of Bike America, again, settles for second; Miguel Perez of the Guatemalan Nation Team pulls up third once more; Boyd Johnson of Alliance Environmental takes fourth, while Frank Travieso of Santino’s rounds out the top 5.
Of course Gregory Lovell came in four minutes, twenty-seven seconds behind the race leader Bjorn Anderson of comfort Air R & A Cycle team this morning and he didn’t do enough to create any drastic changes at the top.
James Adderley
“You all covered like three and a half miles in a very amazing time to catch up with the lead five. When you got there what happened? How did the sprint come out?”
Gregory Lovell, Stage 5 Winner
“Well, it was really hard. It wasn’t easy and they have lot of guys elbowing and pushing each other, and it was really crazy. And when I try put myself up in position, like a herd of twenty guys passed … I was like in at least fifth place and twenty guys just went in front of me. It was really hard; it’s like lot of shuffling happening at the front. I just position myself and ride very aggressive because I know I have legs and I’m really strong coming back. I know I can do it.”
James Adderley
“Your third stage win, how does this one feel?”
Gregory Lovell
“It feels really, really good man. It shows that I am one of the best … I’m the best sprinter in Belize and I ride with the foreign competition. Pro team is out here, U.S. pro team, and it show that I can do it out there, international too.”
James Adderley
“The time trial, individual time trial, comes up tomorrow. Will you be able to maintain this kind of threat that you are posing?”
Gregory Lovell
“Well, I’m not a time trialist and I will try my best to ride really hard tomorrow.”
Tomorrow brings up the twelve mile time trial event, which should separate the men from the boys. It gets off at six a.m. on the Boom circuit. Mike Miller, going in, wears the Masters’ red; Guy Easy, the under twenty-three white; Omar Cruz, the category three, four & five grey; and, of course, the Swedish sensation Bjorn Anderson remains with the yellow.
See you same place, same time, tomorrow night. I’m James Adderley reporting for News Five.
