Belizean cyclists to strut stuff onstage
There’s no shortage of pageants and contests to attend in Belize and tonight, we’re adding one more to the list. On Saturday night, the Civic Center will play host to the first ever “Mr. Cycling” competition. The idea is the brainchild of the cyclists themselves as a creative way to raise money for team trips. News Five’s Janelle Chanona took a ride today to find out what’s up with the boys in tights.
Popular Belizean cyclists prove their prowess on the highways every time they fight it out on the asphalt for the big “W. But come Saturday night, it’s a whole new ballgame as the power legs take to the stage. This weekend is the first ever “Mr. Cycling” and a range of big name cyclists will strut their stuff in front of a live audience.
Kevin Hall, President, Cycling Association
“We have four different categories in this particular pageant. I prefer to call it a competition because some of the guys are kind of insecure when you call it a pageant”
Participants include big shots like Ariel Rosado, Francisco “the Animal” Flores and Douglas “Barcelona” Lamb. There’s certain to be a some stage fright come fight night but it’s all for a good cause. The pageant, make that, contest, is to raise money to send the male and female cyclists to the Central American Games in Guatemala and to aid the victims of Hurricane Iris in the South. The affair has all the trademarks too, there’ll be a talent section as well as a special segment for the female members of the audience.
Kevin Hall
“The first segment will be a modeling section where they will showcase their riding gears. They’ll model in their jerseys, the top, the bottom, the tight pants most of the female like to see and they will have their bicycles along with them on the stage. The questions will be related to cycling as much as possible but will they will touch base on social issues. This will not be just on the history of cycling, they will have to do some type of thinking to answer these questions..”
But the main men stay there’s no strategy to their game plan for Saturday night.
Francisco “The Animal” Flores, National Team Captain
“I don’t really have any strategy, my strategy is only to win race. I don’t mind if I lose.”
Douglas “Barcelona” Lamb, Cyclist, National Team
“My talent is just something I plan together, its some dance I have set together, but it’s just something for fun you know. Like a memory, to bring back some people memory, my dances will bring lot of memories back.”
After that explanation, it seems highly likely Douglas will be doing some break dancing on stage. Organizers hope the mere possibility of that will draw Belizeans to the City Center.
Kevin Hall
“What we want to do is ask the public to please come out and support this pageant. We will be donating a percentage of the profit made from this pageant towards the hurricane victims down South. So come out and support a worthy cause, support Belizean cyclists.
Reporting for News 5, I am Janelle Chanona
Tickets for “Mr. Cycling” are available at the Stone and Baron recording studio on George Street and from the participating cyclists.
