James Adderley has mountain bike race
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and you’re right on time for this serving of Sports Monday. The mountain bike community under the leadership of “Popular Fat Boy” Spain out did themselves with a presentation of a monster race yesterday that is bound to go down in history.
The president himself is assisting with the registration of some thirty-five riders around nine o’clock inside Orange Walk, which of course includes the two female challengers whose entrance into the race creates all kinds of negative reaction from the regular mountain bike crew who do exemplify Central American machismo.
And yes they’re off on a fifty-five mile journey from the park inside “Sugar City” Orange Walk to B.T.L. Park in Belize City. Unfortunately last week’s winner Abraham Delgado suffers a puncture just three hundred yards from the starting line and he’d wind up in a service vehicle.
Talk about accidents, people, for a second time in two big appearances Norma Nuñez falls off her equipment and a cyclist rides over her abdomen which of course leaves Camille Solis as the sole female participant in the hunt, but Norma is one tough athlete and she’ll be back another day.
Around mile forty-three Garret Tablada of Hattieville tires to run away but gets roped in quickly. This crew of four: Troy Burns, Ariel Rosado, Paul Trapp and Curtis August then walk out of the pack but their lead wouldn’t last very long.
Going into Sand Hill, the lead finds nine riders in command as August attacks from the outside but Ryan Rivero quickly responds. The next attack comes from Paul Trapp of Hattieville and he finds himself all alone in the lead going into Ladyville. However, Trapp gets reeled in at mile six and credit must be given to sixteen-year-old Ariel Rosado, who brought back the chase crew. Nevertheless Rosado makes his move coming down Haulover Bridge and only Trapp could stay with him to force a two-man showdown.
In the sprint to the tape at B.T.L. Park it’s all Paul Trapp who gets the “W” forcing Ariel Rosado into second. Steven Welch takes the sprint for third place as Curtis August pulls up fourth, Ryan Rivero finishes fifth, Mark Flowers sixth, Fenton James seventh, Troy Burns cruises in eighth, uncontested. And in this finish Kent Brooks beats Camille Solis for ninth and the only female rider makes the top ten out of a starting thirty-five. And we think that’s big!
Q: “How was it to pick up the “W”?
Paul Trapp, Winner
“I already knew I had the energy by the way I was riding. I knew I could take it without being nasty because only that was in the game.”
Q: “This morning you launched about three attacks while everyone sat down. You were enveloped, then later went on a solo flight. Don’t you think you made too many attacks in this race that you made it close for other guys?”
Paul Trapp
“Not really, I did it for myself because I knew I could take it.”
Ryan Rivero, Fifth Place
“We knew it’d be a very hard race from the start. You have a lot of guys not in shape but the more you ride and the more you stay up front you have a better chance of winning.”
Q: “I saw that you all allowed Paul Trapp to dominate this race. Any comments?”
Ryan Rivero
“We can’t take anything from Paul Trapp because he’s a very good rider regardless that he just came out. The guy worked hard and he deserved to win. We just started out weak, Ariel came second, but we’re satisfied with what we came.”
Q: “Were you the one who engineered bringing back the pack to chase Paul Trapp in the final around mile six or mile seven?”
Ariel Rosado, Second Place
“Yeah, when I saw him going I said I didn’t want him to get away and then the rest of us get drop. Some of the guys got weak and did not want to work. I felt a little bit of strength to bring it back, catch him one time and maybe we’d bring it down to the line.
Then by Haulover he launched one and I went with him and when I looked back the pack got dropped. So the speed brought us to town and by then a really took a licking. This is my first mountain bike race and I normally ride with wooden bike so I’m not too experienced in mountain bike racing. So I listened to the rest of my teammates like “Douggie” and “Animal” telling me what to do. I took too much licking and could not concentrate so I just ride in with him and worked a bit coming to the line and did not have the strength to pass him at the finish.”
Camille Solis, Tenth Place
“It’s my first race against these guys and I knew a lot of them were just riding for me not to beat them. I thought that I would be satisfied once I gave it my best shot and that’s what I did. It was rough at the start but after a while, I guess after I was worn out a little it was okay. I had a flat in the first half of the race and the wheel I got wasn’t working so I had to change my wheel again. So after that I just fought to get back.”
Turning to the football scene, the B.F.L. kicked off it’s 1999/2000 season with a ten team marathon at the M.C.C. Grounds yesterday and we picked up the action with the Young Upstarts from Dangriga under coach Anthony Adderley who eliminated the Yabra Sporting Club 1-zip and they’re going up against Juventus in this outing.
Dangriga attacks from the left side unleashing a left foot that inches outside the sticks. In second half of the fifteen-fifteen Dangriga gets a golden opportunity off the header but failed to execute. It’s another good-looking attempt from the Dangriga team but again they fail to convert. At the other end Dean Flowers gets an open look at the goal and he drills it home as Juventus eliminates Dangriga 1-zip.
We now go to the battle between San Pedro Dolphins and Belmopan Bandits for a push to the finals against Juventus of Orange Walk. Belmopan gets at least two opportunities to score in the sequence but it just doesn’t happen. But a right foot launch from Edmund Pandy beats Delmar Sutherland as Belmopan makes the finals against Juventus.
And so it’s money time in the marathon package at the M.C.C./B.F.L. Production. And it just happens to be all Juventus when the Belmopan keeper misplays the ball, Dean Flowers simply smashes it in for the one-zip lead. Belmopan does come back to tie the proceedings at one a piece. The win for Juventus in this two-one big “W” comes by way of a floater from Wayne Wade who finds the header Christopher Hendricks and the rest as they say is history.
We were hoping to give you the schedule of upcoming weekend games as the regular season gets underway, unfortunately the B.F.L. could not respond to our need. We would like to assist but we have not the information.
See you next time folks but before we go we would like to thank our cameramen for their great work. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
