Garbutt resigns as Cycling Pres.

The cycling community is without its elected leader less than half way into the 2005 calendar, after two-time president Gerald Garbutt decided to call it quits. Garbutt, who was first elected to the post in late November 2003, says it’s time to concentrate his efforts on other pursuits. This afternoon he told News Five’s Patrick Jones that the decision to resign, effective immediately, should come as no surprise and that overall he is satisfied with the accomplishments during his tenure.

Gerald Garbutt, Former Pres., Belize Cycling Assn.
?This was planned about two months ago. I tendered my resignation about two months ago and majority of the cyclists, I would say about eighty-five to ninety percent asked me to stay on until Cross Country. I find that it takes most of my time preparing for races and so, so it takes a lot out of me.?

Patrick Jones
?Looking back at your presidency of the Cycling Association, how would you summarize it? How has it been??

Gerald Garbutt
?Well I think we?ve gone a little step further in cycling. Overall cycling and bicycle riding has moved up by far, and if you notice around the city, on the road, there are a lot of people into cycling now and different forms of cycling, mountain bike, racer bike, and even the female and the junior pack has been raised. The female race from when I get in from about four five, six of them riding, now we have about seventeen going to twenty, and the junior move up to twenty plus.?

?I had in mind when I first started the calendar that I wanted to put a Team Belize together, but finance was our problem because it takes a lot financial wise to put a Team Belize together. And I tried it and we noticed that it would cost, on paper it cost a lot and we didn?t have that support to undergo it. We start, if you noticed on the last two major races we are doing drug testing, which is very expensive for us. Cycling does not get assistance from anywhere so we have to try and see how we can generate our funds.?

Garbutt says that with the advances made over the years, he is confident that the sport of cycling can only get better. And while it is assumed that Vice President John Swift will take over the association, Swift this afternoon told News Five that the remainder of the executive will meet on Thursday night to review the constitution to determine whether that is the case or if there will need to be fresh elections.