Marlon Castillo wins Krem Cycling Classic 2009

There is a cycling event to accompany almost every major holiday in Belize… and for New Year’s it’s the Krem Cycling Classic. News Five’s cameras were there on Thursday afternoon when the riders cross the finished line and tonight sportscaster James Adderley has the results.

James Adderley, Reporting
The nineteenth annual New Years Day Cycling Classic as sponsored by Krem Radio had another successful run yesterday, attracting all the big names in the various categories. However, we’re tracking the elite class at the finish to this ninety-two mile ride on the Northern Highway that had attracted a field of some eighty-five athletes which included fifteen foreigners. The screaming motorcycles signal the race is about to mount Belcan Bridge here in Belize City as we spot the solitary figure of Marlon Castillo of Team Santino’s in the envied position of unchallenged leader and he crosses the finish line to pick up the New Years Day win in 2009 in a time three hours, twenty-nine minutes, fifty-five seconds. This is his second New Years Day win; the first was in 2004. Now comes the field sprint for second place today and Gregory Lovell, also of Santino’s, pulls out his customary blaze of speed to secure that position while Christian McNish, the Panamanian riding for Benny’s Megabytes, captures third, Brandon Cattouse on the outside takes fourth while Byron Pope rounds out the top five.

Marlon Castillo, Winner, New Years Cycling Classic
“I seh if I feel good when I stay back yah wid dis bunch yah. I dah noh wah good sprinter so I seh mek I try mi thing and si weh di crowd di do. So I open up wah big gap and I seh di fans were cheering for me so dat give me more strength. Seeing them cheer Santino’s star motivate me, dehn love me. So all ah dat give me motivation.”

Gregory Lovell, 2nd Place, New Years Cycling Classic
“Our team is stronger and I know that we had everything covered and we didn’t find the race really hard. We trained real hard and we had confidence that we can do it so that was it.”

On the female side, American Lori Harky took top honours, Shalini Zabaneh settled for second and Gina Lovell third. At the Masters level Jose Choto of Sugar City Boys beat out Glen O’Brien and Chris Harky in that order. The junior class was won by Austin Armstrong of Vega Crystal who edged Trevon Salazar and Daniel Choto. This is James Adderley, reporting for News Five.