Big cross country cycle race runs Saturday
It happens every Easter… and while the annual race is never far from controversy, the granddaddy of Belizean sporting events will once again thrill Belizeans from Barranco to Consejo. Ann-Marie was on the road early this morning and returned to the studio with a preview.
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
When the bugle is sounded at 6:00 a.m. on Holy Saturday, the sun will just be coming up and so will the fans, to see their favourite cyclists put foot to pedal for the grueling one hundred and forty-two-mile road race. The annual Holy Saturday Cross-Country Cycling Classic, the single biggest sporting event in Belize was first won by Elston Kerr in 1928. Seventy-three years later, the sport has grown with well financed teams of high performance riders, largely replacing the brave singular souls of a bygone era.
Mateo Cruz captains the Santino Jamis team. He has the record for the halfway mark; two hours thirty-five minutes in 1999.
Mateo Cruz, Santino Jamis Team
“I’m looking for the next record, the record home. For the last five to six races I have been performing well and I think I’ll be up there when the dust settles.”
Douglas Lamb, Santino Jamis Team
“Ever year I have been coming fourteenth and fifteenth, so this year I’m expected to take a big leap to the front spot.”
The front spot is where rookie cyclist Herman Requena is hoping to hit. This is his second cross-country.
Herman Requena, Sunflower Team
“For me it’s easier this year because I trained more and got enough rest.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“When you were on the road last year did you think it was going to be so bad, or so rough?”
Herman Requena
“I thought it was going to be easy, but then I found out it was hard. The Americans made it hard because they go very fast, so it’s hard to keep up with the top guys.”
And one top guy who’s proven himself with numerous wins in St. Vincent, Cuidad del Carmen and the 1997 Cross-Country Cycling Classic is Ernest “Jawmain” Meighan. The last Belizean to have won the race before it was taken over by foreign competition, is hoping to being it back home, weather permitted.
Ernest Meighan, Santino Jamis Team
“If it’s cool, it’s going to be real hard for our Belizeans to win because the foreigners will like a cool day. For example, 1998 was very cool, and the Americans took over the whole race.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“I know this is your first cross country and you’ve been wanting to do this for some time, how good a shape are you in? How prepared are you?”
Williams “Bill” Williams, Zombis Team, Los Angeles
“I’m here, so I guess I feel prepared for the race itself. These guys down here are tough, when they’re riding a race over there, the race is consistent with a high speed. Over here, he race is jerky, jerky. There’re attacking every minute and that puts a toll on you. That wasn’t even a hard race according to them, so I know cross country is going to be even harder, so I’m ready.”
And what would the classic be without the old faithfuls like Glenn Gordon. It may be a long way off from 1979 when he placed second, however, he admits he too is ready.
Glenn Gordon, Cyclist,
“Anybody can win. It’s just how you train and the support you get. I don’t have the support that some persons have, like Santino, Smiling team and those others that have good support, but with the experience, I think I should be able to pull it through.”
And one good reason to pull it through is for the love of the team, James Frampton knows this all too well.
James Frampton, Santino Jamis Team
“It might be closing a break, or it might be it might be just carrying the pace steady. Whatever it calls for, the overall is for the team to win. If the team wins, everybody wins.”
Santino Castillo, owner of the twelve-member Jamis team couldn’t agree more.
Santino Castillo, Owner, Santino Jamis Team
“If that is your goal, just for you to capture the individual title, as much as I hate to say it, then you don’t belong on a team. Once you’re on a team, sometimes you have to sacrifice that goal for the sake of the team. But at the same time, that goal can come true for you if you come into the track with a few teammates and a bunch of other guys. I’ve very sure that your goal will come true if you’re in the condition and the right place at the right time and everything goes well for you.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“Does it concern you that the cross country title has been out of our home base for like five years now?”
Stansmore Bowman, Pres., Belize Cycling Association
“It concerns me in the sense that we have been through this already, we remembered in the past that we have three years where the Americans have dominated the race, and we’re looking at another three year stretch. Belizean cyclists normally rise to the occasion, especially now that they’re being pressured by the community to deliver the garland back home. Looking at the bigger picture though, it will be sometime for Belizeans to rest comfortably with winning this event. If we are projecting on developing the sport, we’ll have to bring in foreign competitors to elevate our standards and also we at home must put components in place to ensure that our cyclists will compete at that level.”
Santino Castillo
“The three riders I’m looking to come into the track and win this race for me are either Ernest Meighan, Mateo Cruz, or Barney Brown. Those are the three sprinters that I believe are experienced, old enough and will be around at the end of the race, and the rest of the team just have to work for them to bring them to the promise land.”
Ann-Marie Williams for News 5.
The news cross-country champion is expected to take home, among other prizes, five thousand dollars cash and a cellular package courtesy BTL. Also, numerous station prizes will be won along the one hundred and forty-two mile route, including two bulls.
