Souvenir book highlights Holy Saturday race
The competition has been heating up all year and the stage is now set for cycling’s biggest day on Holy Saturday. To get the hype going even more, the Belize Cycling Association today unveiled the 2004 edition of its souvenir cross country publication. News 5’s Patrick Jones took the opportunity to do some reading.
Patrick Jones, Reporting
The forty-page book chronicles the development of cycling in Belize from 1928 when Elston Kerr took two days to capture the first cross-country title. President of the Belize Cycling Association, Gerald Garbutt, says there is something for everyone in this year’s publication.
Gerald Garbutt, President, Cycling Association
“The brochure is to inform our cycling family about the record and the information for all cyclists. You notice that in this brochure that we launched today have all the teams and with all the changes. It’s the latest pictures and everything. We try to avoid these old pictures form old stuff that we publish.”
Articles written by the brochure’s producers, Green Banana Productions, cover various topics including a history of the race, profile of last year’s champion and female riders. Garbutt says the brochure also reflects the association’s goal of improving the biggest one-day sporting event in the country.
Gerald Garbutt, President, Cycling Association
“When we get into office in December we tried to introduce the team concept, which is catching on very fast right now. And by team concept, you find out that they can perform better as a team. It’s very difficult out there for any one individual go and win a race right now.”
And to level off the playing field, Garbutt says strict rules regarding the participation of international riders have been put in place.
Gerald Garbutt
“Basically, we want them to ride on all levels, all category, and ride in their own jersey, register in their own jersey, and if they win a prize they go and get their own prize. Basically all foreign riders are riding on their own. Now how they get here, where they eat, where they sleep, that’s not the association business.”
Ten days from the start, the list of prizes is impressive.
Gerald Garbutt
“First place for the seniors, IMMARBE came back with the five thousand dollars in cash, we talked with J.L.’s Quick Loan, which had stopped sponsoring the ring for quite some time I think couple years, and he decided, yes, I will come back I will give it. And most of all, the Government of Belize under the leadership of Prime Minister Said Musa, we had convinced him to give a piece of lot for the first place. The information I pick up is that the lot values about seven thousand dollars.”
And even though a full list of prizes and competitors will not be ready until the middle of next week, Garbutt says all systems are go for the big race.
Gerald Garbutt
“We born ready my boy. We are ready.”
Patrick Jones, for News 5.
Garbutt says that government’s prize of a lot comes with the condition that a Belizean must win the Cross Country race. A similar condition is attached to the prize sponsored by Medina’s House of Jewellery, a men’s bracelet valued at two thousand dollars. If a Belizean does not win the prize, Garbutt says they will carry over to next year’s Holy Saturday race.
