Close finish in Ruta Maya
James Adderley, Reporting
Good evening, I?m James Adderley and you?ve now caught up in the weekly, we call Sports Monday. The twenty-third running of the Belmopan Cycle Classic on Sunday was sponsored by San Cas Limited and it featured maximum excitement in all four categories people.
We begin with this image of Marlon Castillo, an Elite Rider, entering the Marion Jones Sporting Complex in solitary fashion after executing a most brilliant breakout from the lead pack of four at the Hattieville Station prize en-route to Belize City.
Three quarters of a lap later a hungry chase, group led by defending Cross Country Champion, American Chris Henry roar into the stadium in search of the sole leader.
However, that dream is rendered impossible as Marlon Castillo of Santino?s maintains his lead to ride across the finish line unchallenged to take the hundred mile victory, in four hours, twenty minutes and twelve seconds. Just imagine this Santino?s rider was deemed eligible to compete in the Junior class. Big respect is due.
Thus the excitement shifts to the field sprint for second place, around the final turn Ernest Meighan makes his move, the challenge comes first from Big Mike Lewis, but its young Gregory Lovell who wants it more. However, again
Ernest Meighan holds off Gregory to force him into third while Big Mike Lewis settles for fourth while Mateo Cruz rounds out the top five.
A very shy Marlon Castillo described his decisive move at Hattieville.
Marlon Castillo, Winner, Elite Competition
?When he gone for the station prize he burned a lot. Then I just attacked. I went right after it.?
James Adderley
?They wanted you to ride in the junior division; you came and you beat everybody including the senior guys. How does this win feel for you.?
Marlon Castillo
?This feel so great.?
Ernest Meighan, the runner up gave us his view of the event.
Ernest Meighan, Second, Elite Competition
?I realize that all the good and the big guys are here for this sprint and haven?t done nothing all day and Marlon set me a good rhythm so I can get a good draft and come in very strong at the end to come in second. So that?s the reason why I came in so strong but I was worrying mostly about Michael. Everybody is always saying that Michael is stronger after a long ride.?
Of course the cyclist of the future, Gregory Lovell, had a slightly different take.
Gregory Lovell, Third, Elite Competition
?I was still very strong at the end. I was working very hard out there and I said this is one race and I decided to put my all into it and I wouldn?t save nothing. So I just gave my all and I did well.?
In the Masters Category, Big Mike Lewis of Guinness Seahawks took top honours, beating out Robert Mariano and Douglas Lamb in that order.
In the meantime, the female class blasted off from the Belmopan Comprehensive School. So we fast forward to the finish of this fifty-mile run, watch Marinet Flowers of Santino?s get up off her bicycle to walk out of the pack to win the event in two hours fifty-eight minutes forty-two seconds forcing Alicia Thompson into second and Anamarie Bennett into third.
Marinet Flowers, Female Winner
?Well in my last race I think I made my own decision because I went out there and I worked hard and then there was no one who wanted to come out and help me. So I just sat back and said whatever happens, happens because it?s not that I am not in shape but because I made a decision and let anyone go because I work hard and I train hard. I am tired of riding so slow at fifteen or sixteen miles. We are trying to average about nineteen or twenty miles which I am capable of doing that. Today I just rode and watched what everyone will do and I just sat back and relax and try to do what I always do at the finish.?
Now if you like a sizzling sprinter, check the finish of the junior ride which left La Democracia for Belmopan and then swung around to the Marion Jones. We are around the final turn, the last rider pulls the trigger, while the chase follows immediately. It?s Domingo Lewis of M & M in the winners circle today after beating our Darnell Barrow and Michael Garbutt in that order.
Turning to the monstrous La Ruta Maya River race, we must mention it is an event that certainly highlights the beauty of this land we call our own. In fact, this view of the event at the Hallouver Bridge is absolutely scenic people and the rural setting makes one long for the days of old.
However, the competition between these two giants of the sport is intense. So we take you to the Belcan Bridge for Monday?s mighty finish. Here in the last leg, ?A Gat You? sponsored by Pine Lumber gets away from ?Come Get Me? sponsored by Big-H. However it certainly is a privileged victory since the Big-H team had articulated a total time of nineteen hours, nineteen minutes and ten seconds to be the best from amongst many. Pine Lumber pause to settle for second. We congratulate the 2005 champion and and the same thing holds through for the boomers who beat Atlantic Bank for third place in the final stage, but its Atlantic Bank that finishes third overall.
Turning to the football scene, week seven of the Regents Cup found Kremendala Lake hosting the winless Print Belize Griga at the MCC Grounds on Sunday with folks wondering if Griga would finally break the spell.
We?re some fifteen minutes in when the Griga defence concedes this foul inside the eighteen and the referee rightly rules penalty.
Jermaine Zuniga steps up and guess what, he absolutely embarrasses himself.
However, don?t hit a man when he?s down, he might get up and at the eighteenth minute Zuniga finds himself in front of the goal and he makes amend for the penalty miss to give the Lake a 1-zip lead.
Four minutes later, Anthony Flores, times his run perfectly, dances past Derrol Roaches, and smacks the pill into an empty net to tie the score at one apiece.
On this Kremandala Press, Deon flowers finds the veteran David McCauley senior and his high riser crashes into the back of the net as the fake take a two to one lead to the locker room.
Two minutes into second half, Wasani Ramirez deals to Anthony Flores and we have a tied ballgame at two apiece on Flores?s second goal of the match.
It?s not until the eighty-eight minute that the tie gets broken, Deon Flowers does the hard work and sets table perfectly for Maurice Frances who smacks it home for the three to two lead.
And then two minutes later, Mann McCauley finds Maurice Francis who again finds the back of the net to give the Lake a four to two big W, while Print Belize remains with the blue.
In other action around the league Sagitun burned Cayo Avengers 1-zip, the Calcutta Bulls crushed Kulture Yabra two to one, while Juventus sunk the San Pedro Seahawks two-zip.
Okay folks, that?s our show for today. We thank our cameramen for their great work over the weekend. Jah, over all, I?m James Adderley.
