Raymond Hyde is King of the Hills

Good evening, I’m James Adderley stepping up with this fresh dish of Sports Monday. Recreational cycling has gripped Belize by a storm and even threatens to overtake the very highest levels inside the sport as far as popularity goes. Over the weekend the Santino’s Bike Club presented the King of the Hills Cycle Classic for non-elite riders.

We go to Saturday morning’s start at Belmopan where twenty-eight riders have answered the call and well, they’re off on a fifty-seven mile journey. At the turn around point, number twenty-five Raymond Hyde is the man on the pace, but the main pack is still intact and within striking distance.

At the Belmopan cut off, Hyde remains the man on the pace, but the chase group were beginning to reel him in. However, only Gilroy ?Cable Guy? Robinson has enough turn over power to execute that objective.

After assuming the lead, Robinson puts on the afterburners to roll into the finish line at Loma Luz Clinic, completing the fifty-seven miles in two hours, thirty-three minutes.

Fitzgerald ?Palas? Joseph grabs second place, James “Cocky” Welch third, Will Gillette fourth, while Will Giddis rounds out the top five.

So we go to day two of the event where the start is at Hodies inside San Ignacio and will run to the Benque border and back for two laps, which adds up to some forty miles.

Again, it?s Raymond Hyde opting for the early break, but he does attract the attention of Will Gillette and Jonathan Garbutt, who also break out of the pack.

At the end of the first lap, its Raymond Hyde and Will Gillette in command of the race. Jonathan Garbutt is in third, Kenneth Butler is in fourth, and then the main pack follows.

Hyde and Gillette continue to roll to the finish with a big lead. And in fact, they roll to the finish line where Raymond Hyde pulls up first and Will Gillette second. Here is Adrian Faux grabbing third place, Jonathan Garbutt is forced into fourth, while Fitzgerald ?Palas? Joseph rounds out the top five.

So after two days and ninety-seven miles, Raymond had amassed one hundred and thirty-three points to take the overall win, Gilroy Robinson settles for second with ninety-one points, Will Gillette totalled eighty-eight points that?s good for third place, Fitzgerald ?Palas? Joseph, who has never finished less than five in these events, had sixty-four points to take fourth, while James “Cocky” Welch totals fifty-two points to round out the top five. We say congratulations to one and all!

Turning to the softball scene, the Junior National Male Softball teams played two friendly matches yesterday at Roger’s Stadium in preparation for the first Central American Under Nineteen Junior Male Softball Tournament to be staged at Guatemalan beginning the fourteenth of September.

We go to live action as the National Junior Team faces Corozal. And it?s the fifth inning where the National Team with a 7-2 lead gets a force run on this error by the Corozal catcher. It is converted by Shane Williams.

In their turn at bat, the northern champion tries to rally and pick up two runs here on this double by Hamish Toure, but the National Team does get out of the inning by displaying good defence.

In the top of the sixth, the National Male Junior Team sees Byron Donaire tack on another run, thanks to this perfect bunt.

And then this dropped ball in the outfield allows Deon Flowers to pick up yet another run as the national team goes on to post the 10-5 big W.

In action against the National Male Senior Team, the National Junior unit took a 13-6 loss. We nevertheless wish our junior team maximum respect as they head to Guatemala.

Changing gears folks, the summer 2005 Female Two by Two Beach Volleyball Tournament is set for Sunday August twenty-eighth and Sunday September fourth at the Dolphin Park here in Belize City. You certainly won’t want to miss it, so keep these dates in mind.

In chess news, we want to tell you that there?s a chess camp going on right now at the House of Culture. It goes from Mondays to Fridays from nine a.m. to midday. It extends from the eight of August to the twelfth. It you?re into chess, you can sign up.

That’s it for now, we invite you back same time, same place next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.