Cycling race looks to encourage young riders

Last weekend it was professionals taking part in the Father’s Day Cycling Classic, but this Sunday it is the youths’ turn to ride in the race honouring Bishop O.P. Martin. The sporting event is being organised by the Belize Rollers Cycling Enterprise and is open to cyclists in primary and secondary school, eight years old and up. The race will take the form of a criterium with laps around the Marine Parade. Club director Kevin Hall told News Five that if the sport is to prosper they’ve got to get the younger generation involved.

Kevin Hall, Dir., Belize Rollers Cycling
?Last year?s race was a road race from Belmopan City to Belize City, which finished at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex. Why we decide to go this way this year is because what we are pushing forward is a cycling form system. So most of the riders that we have riding currently are novice riders within the high school system. We are trying to nurture them through developmental races, and no race is better than track races and criterium to develop these kids.?

?At this time we need to focus on the youths because if we don?t, the sport of cycling or any sport as a matter of fact will not grow unless we plant new trees. And in Belize we have a very old cycling population, so we need to get some youths in there so that this thing can grow and in a couple years from now we have some new kids to take over to be the vanguards in the sport of cycling in Belize.?

The race starts on Sunday afternoon at three at Marine Parade Boulevard. Registration is free of cost. According to Hall, the cycling club is also planning a camp for the summer holiday. For further information contact him at 620-2876.