90 Years of Cross Country – Will a Belizean Break Drought?

It is the Holy Grail of Belizean sport, but for the last four years – if 2015 Champion Justin Williams’ Belizean nationality is discounted – foreigners have dominated the Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic. Two-time and defending champion, Guatemalan Alejandro Padilla Miranda, is unavailable for this year’s event. The rest of the field consists of around eighty-plus Belizeans and twenty or so non-Belizeans in a cat and mouse game for the richest prize on the annual cycling calendar. This one is about national pride and on today’s Open Your Eyes, cyclist and Cycling Federation Vice-President Orson Butler offered some names to keep your ear tuned in for on Saturday.

Orson Butler

Orson Butler, Vice-President, Cycling Federation of Belize

“The race starts at five-fifty from the B.T.L. Park, head down toward Barrack Road, right onto Freetown Road, left at Central American [Boulevard] roundabout from Freetown Road, down Central American Boulevard, right onto George Price Highway, we have a flying start from Leslie’s Imports. The race travels the length and breadth of the George Price Highway. However, when the race enters Santa Elena, they have construction that has been going on, but we have spoken to the contractor, and the road will be cleared so that we can go over into San Ignacio and back out.  From the Federation’s standpoint, the work is to prepare all our athletes. So at this point in time, we have a team that we have chosen to represent the country in Australia. This team comprises of three guys plus two alternates. I believe that any one of these guys could win the event. Their names are Giovanni Lovell from the Digicell 4G Team, Nissan Arana from Westrac Alliance; Oscar Quiroz from Smart/C-Ray/Western Spirit; fourth place is Liam Stewart, he’s riding unattached, and fifth place is Joel Borland from the Digicell 4G Team. The team has a make-up of different variety from the local teams here in Belize, but any one of these guys locally I think has the ability to take home the garland this year.”

Butler is referring to the coming Commonwealth Games early in April.