Robert Mariano takes Valentine’s Classic

Good evening, I’m James Adderley and you’re certainly welcome to this edition of Sports Monday. Besides new love, colourful flowers, and sweet things Valentine’s Day brings with it the prestigious eighty-eight mile cycle race that takes centre stage on the Western Highway.

We take you to the nine a.m. start inside San Ignacio and we couldn’t help but observe the pre-race camaraderie between archrivals Santino and the Smiling Bothers and we’re certain the F.F.B. and the B.P.F.L. can learn something from this picture.

Anyway, most of the top-flight elites are in the hunt today and some fifty riders are making a bid when the start is signalled outside the San Ignacio Hotel.

At the turn around mark at the Benque Viejo border station, it’s two Cayo riders, Shane Vasquez and Rafael Choto, on the pace leading a gang of ten trying to make a break.

When the race returns to descend Cement Hill, this trio featuring Shane Vasquez, the American Jeremy Conn, and young Giovanni Leslie have successfully broken out of the pack.

For the next sixty-four or so miles this trio would dominate this event. Here’s a view of them pedalling through Roaring Creek.

However, by mile thirty Giovanni Leslie was no longer a member of the trio, making the race a two-man ride between Shane Vasquez of Cayo and Jeremy Conn of the United States. Vasquez and Conn continue to run the lead even outside of Hattieville.

Folks, we’re at five miles with the lead still intact, but barely as the chase bunch has the duo in its sight only five seconds away.

We next catch up with the race at the finish line at Constitution Park here in Belize City. And who is that rider rounding the curve? It’s that veteran Robert Mariano–he puts on the afterburners, he puts on a smile, raises his hand in victory after setting a time of three hours, forty-six minutes, fifty-eight seconds.

The American Jeremy Conn holds on to second place. And now here’s the sprint for third place. Mateo Cruz cruises in, Ernest Meighan belts past Ian Smith for fourth place while Smith rounds, but the top five.

James Adderley

“Robert, certainly this is a stunning victory for a veteran rider who has come back to the sport of cycling.

Robert Mariano, Winner, Valentine’s Classic

“Well inna cycling you noh have no veterans you know James. Once you put it in that dah weh you wah get out back no matter how old yuh old. I do a lot because mi teammates encourage me a lot on the road, fi mek I stay dah front. So the Animal, Early B, Orson Butler, Charlie, di guys pan the motorbikes, Perry, Nose. I just want to thank everybody and Charlie Lewis because he hail me on the finishing part. I nevah have to di look back too much, he just mek sure that I know weh di happen behind me.”

James Adderley

“Were you the designated winner for your team?”

Robert Mariano

“Well today we come out fi win, basically I come out yah fi ride fi win. Once I ride I ride fi win once dah major classic.”

For sure, Shane Vasquez who was swallowed up by the chase bunch on the way to the tape was disappointed.

Shane Vasquez

“Indeed, I expected better at the ending of the race. But early in the race we broke away and I was working hard most of the way along with the American. Both of us were working, working, coming all the way to Belize City. I know when the guys organise themselves to the back, then they had the advantage because it was like fourteen or fifteen guys on only two of us and they caught us up right at the tape. It was a disappointment and also a learning process for me because then I know what I could do in another race.”

Mateo Cruz, 3rd Place Winner

“It’s kinda disappointing, but you can’t win all. We know a lot of foreigners mi deh yah and I know the foreigners deh dah wah lee different level, some of them. So we know we had to work hard and the pack just sit down pan we. The bwai just was the foreigners win instead of Belizeans.”

On the finale side, Violet Morrison edged Marinet Flowers to take the fifty-mile race from Belmopan to Belize City as Fiona Humes settles for third.

Violet Morrison, 1st Place, Valentine’s Classic

“Fiona and Marinet, they came out and attacked coming into the finish. I went up some gears, I felt my leg under me I felt good to that point there and I said to myself as we got closer to the line, my service team told me it’s time for me to past them and I came around and that was it.”

Marinet Flowers, 2nd Place

“On the finishing I was sitting behind Fiona’s wheel and I told her to get off the wheel because Violet was behind me sitting down and she cut, but she cut the wrong place, in front of me. And I had to ease off a little bit so I don’t get in an accident. By the time I ease off and try cut out back fi catch Violet’s wheel, it was a little bit too late.”

James Adderley

“So you had this race?”

Marinet Flowers

“I had it, I was feeling so good. I thought I had it, but she cut in front of me. I was sitting on her wheel and she cut in front of me and I had to ease off.”

On the junior side, Marlon Castillo took the junior ride beating out Giovanni Choto and Keron Fernandez in that order.

Meanwhile folks, it was double time for Robert Marino who also won the masters category beating out former Cross Country champ big Mike Lewis.

Turning to the secondary schools National Softball Tournament staged at Sandhill over the weekend. The central division champion Belize Rural High took the female title by stopping Independence High School 4-2.

Meanwhile, the Central Division male champions St. Michael College, left the tournament in disgrace when they were suspended Saturday night after losing to Mount Carmel High School. Coaches Bart Sanchez of Alex Flores tried to intimidate the game officials and then the entire team went ballistic.

Nevertheless, Independence High School emerged the champ by routing Orange Walk Tech 11-4. In the meantime, meet female M.V.P. Gina Flowers, pitcher for Belize Rural High, and Kenyon Young pitcher for Independence High and we say good show.

In football news, four matches were completed in the B.P.F.L. B League over the weekend nationwide.

Delta Sports and Belize Rural All Stars struggled to a 2-2 stalemate, Corozal Strikers clipped Lazio 3-2, Youth for the Future picked up its first season win beating A.C. Milan 2-1. A.F.C. United dumped Hattieville Sporting Club 2-1, and Kremandala Lake doubled Caye Caulker 2-1.

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