Marlon Castillo takes the 2010 Pablo Marin Cycling Classic
Good evening I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.
The fifth annual Pablo Marin Cycle Classic took center stage on the Northern Highway on Saturday, May first with eighty-two athletes suited up for the start at Miami Beach Corozal for the seventy-nine point three mile ride open to all male cyclists. Coming out at the turnaround point at the Santa Elena Border is a group of eight riders namely Byron Pope, Marlon Castillo, Jose Choto, Peter Choto, Edgar Nissan Arana, Chris McNish and Leroy Cassasola. And of course, the pelathon at this early stage remains a compact unit as the chase begins. As we head into Corozal Town, the lead is now seven. Jose and Peter Choto, Nissan Arana, Byron Pope, Marlon Castillo, Leroy Cassasola and Jeffrey Zelaya. When we catch up with the lead pack at Caribbean Tyre’s turnaround outside Orange Walk the lead is now five, with Cassasola on the pace, followed by Jose Choto, Nissan Arana, Marlon Castillo and Byron Pope. About a minute later, Peter and Giovanni Choto and Juan Umana-Flores appear at the roundabout and are being closely followed by this chase group of some eight riders. In the meantime, the lead five continue to work well together, using strict rotation to maintain their lead. At Buena Vista Marlon Castillo and Nissan Arana battle for the station prize taken by Castillo, but more importantly the duo takes control of the pace. However, by the time the race reaches the Libertad junction, the solitary figure of Marlon Castillo commands the landscape. Just outside Corozal Town we find Castillo still in control with his solo flight. And at the finish line at Miami Beach it’s Marlon Castillo of Team Zamir cruising in for the big W in a time of 03:33:13, three minutes and one second later Edgar Nissan Arana of Team Typhoon rolls in for an uncontested second place. Byron Pope of Benny’s Megabytes takes third place in a time of 03:38:55, Leroy Cassasola of Santino’s pulls up four seconds later for fourth place while Jose Choto of Western Spirit rounds out the top five in a race that saw forty-seven riders abandoning the event which travelled at an average of twenty-two point three miles per hour.
In the special prize category, Leroy Cassasola took the cat three riders prize. Richard Vera, the junior riders’ prize, Juan Umana Flores the youth riders’ prize while Wilbert Jones rode away with the Masters category. On the ladies’ side, Shalini Zabaneh of Sagitun beat out Liona Humes, Anthea Sutherland, Jane Usher and Jamie Lee Usher by over fourteen minutes in their forty-two mile ride.
In football news, we take you north to San Felipe OW where San Felipe Barcelona hosted Nizhee Corozal yesterday in week four of the Belize Bank Super League Tournament. The visitors look to open the scoreboard early off this set piece that forces Bryan Hernandez into a crucial save to keep the ballgame scoreless. However, off the subsequent corner kick Hernandez somehow manages to botch a save he had already made to give Julio Tun an undeserved goal and allow Nizhee Corozal to grab a 1-zip lead nine minutes in. San Felipe then looks to the set piece for the equalizer as Derys Benavides launches this play that sees Christopher Hendricks put a real body on the Corozal keeper. We’re twenty-three minutes in when Araine Swaso launches this ball into the danger zone, everybody misses the pill including the goalkeeper Hernandez. So Russel Casanova streaks in to give Nizhee Corozal a 2-zip lead. San Felipe tries to pull one back when Edwardo Morales deals to Christopher Hendricks who fails to launch a shot at goal and at the half the 2-nil Nizhee Corozal holds up.
San Felipe Barcelona nevertheless, continues to press in the second half forcing the keeper to intervene on this floater from Eric Flores. Oscar Acevedo then fires this right foot across the Corozal goal mouth but the keeper reads the play. It’s more Barcelona pressure when Christopher Hendricks picks out Lorenzo Diaz who should have put this one into the net. When Acevedo finds Harvey Cruz with this pass it looks like San Felipe will finally get on the scoreboard, but a fingertip from the keeper denies them the goal. Meanwhile, tempers do flare in this one. Victor Morales mauls Michael Whittaker with the left hand during this play so Whittaker responds with a right to the back for which he gets chased off the field of play. When play resumes, Christopher Hendricks puts a body on the keeper that forces the Corozal keeper to abandon the field of play and now Nizhee has a new keeper, Rafael Che, in the game. The humongous effort launched by San Felipe in the second half pays off at the eighty-third minute when Victor Morales fires this right foot that tangles in the net and we have a 2-1 score. The hometown now looks for the equalizer off this corner kick but the header by Morales is directly at the keeper. This shot from Lorenzo Diaz rebounds off Kenny Canul to Victor Morales whose right foot punch is corralled by Che. Diaz then gets the chance to force the tie in the closing moments only to see the ball rebound off Che. Nizhee Corozal hangs on for the 2-1 big W.
In other action around the league, city Boys United blanked Belize United 2-zip, Placencia Assassin and Hattieville F.C. battled to a 1-1 stalemate and Santa Elena Synergy outlasted Cayo South United in a 5-3 affair. Week five finds two Saturday matches: Belize United battles Placencia Assassin at the M.C.C. and city Boys travel to Cayo South United. On Sunday Hattieville F.C. will host San Felipe Barcelona and Santa Elena Synergy travel to Nizhee Corozal.
Turning to the Caribbean Motors Cup, regular season play concluded over the weekend with the B.D.F. beating BRC Blaze 3-1, Georgetown Ibayani held F.C. Belize to a 1-1 tie, Paradise Freedom Fighters and San Pedro Seadogs also finished 1-1 and guess what Shanaiah Corozal took a 15-nil humiliation at the hands of Hankook Verdes. Thus the playoffs begun this Wednesday night. F.C. Belize will face San Pedro at the M.C.C. Grounds fighting for a chance to face the number one seed B.D.F. while Paradise Freedom Fighters take on Georgetown Ibayani at the Toledo Union Field in a bid for a shot at Hankook Verdes the number two seed.
Finally folks, Channel 5 will be presenting a series of programs on the World Cup of Soccer for your entertainment and will follow up with the airing of matches you want to see so stay tuned.
Hey folks, that’s our show for today. We invite you back same time, same place, next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.
