Tour-de-Santino kicks off
Destined to be the largest cycling event after the Cross Country Cycling Classic, is a new riding competition created by Santino Castillo. Today we caught up with Santi to find out more.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
Move over Tour-de-France, here comes Tour-de-Santino. With a 10.6 mile time trial, a seventy-mile road race, and an hour and a half ride on the Princess Margaret Drive circuit; Santino Castillo definitely wants to make the tour that bears his name, one of distinction.
Santino Castillo, Organizer, Tour-de-Santino
“Well, today, Friday was the time trial. That was won by Chris Harkey riding for the Smiling team. Second was Bobby Lee that rides for Santino’s Jamis, third was Jeffery Zelaya, the best Belizean. Fourth was Gabriel Hernandez a Mexican, Sean Lightburn, a Belizean American was fifth. Ariel Rosado was sixth, riding for Santino’s, Douglas Lamb was seventh. Quinton Hamilton was eight, ninth was a Mexican David Balam and tenth was Ryan Garbutt from Garbutt Roaring Creek in Belmopan, and those were the top ten. Times were given to the fifty-four cyclists, thirty-eight were Belizean, eleven were Mexican, and five were American.”
Only sixteen of the cyclists are foreigners, but four of the top ten positions in today’s contest belonged to outsiders. The caliber of these foreign riders will ensure that all cyclists get the opportunity to ride in an event that can only help improve their performance.
Santino Castillo
“Competition is good, very good. I must say that this Chris Harkey that Smiling brought is a world class time trialist. He has posted a two minute, twenty seconds advantage over the second place man Bobby Lee, and Jeffery Zelaya is another twenty seconds behind. The idea will be to try beat this boy by more than the time that he is beating them.”
“The idea for the Tour-de-Santino came about when I noted that there was no longer a Tour-de-Belize for the past two, three years. The truth is because I am also a cyclist and ride with the guys, they have been requesting that there be a tour. So I decided due to that and so that the cyclist could have this tour to change the Santino’s Cycling Classic from a one-day race to a two-day race last year. And then I said I would just make it a three-day tour this year and done. At the same time it gives it more prestige because the American cyclists, Guatemalan cyclists and Mexican cyclists that came, can in fact ride three separate days instead of just one race and it’s done.”
“So tomorrow is the road race which starts at 1:00 p.m. It goes to mile thirty-five, returns andends at the Constitution Park. Prior to that we’ll put the yellow jersey, the leaders jersey, on Chris Harkey. Then if he’s still the leader or somebody takes it over, that will be the new leader. A jersey will be given to them as well, prior to the start of the criterium Sunday out at Princess Margaret Drive.”
Castillo is also hosting two races for the kids. At 9:30, Sunday’s first race will comprise of four to six year olds–training wheels optional–winging it in the wind on St. Thomas Street. This will be followed by a seven to ten-year old, a female mountain bike race, and an open mountain bike race before the “big guns” event, which will be the final leg of the tour.
Santino Castillo
“And then, at the end of that event a champion will be crowned as the overall winner. We are giving five trophies and five good cash prizes for each stage, and ten for the overall best ten times starting from a thousand dollars right down to tenth place a hundred, along with nice trophies.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Jose Sanchez.
Trophies will be awarded for all events, including the kiddie’s race. The presentation of the prizes will be held at the Calypso on August twenty-seventh.
