Gregory Lovell wins Alpheus Williams cycling classic

Good Evening I’m James Adderley and you’ve locked into this session of Sports Monday.

Week nine of the R.F.G. Cup Tournament found the battle for the lead in the standings heating up big time and the Belize Defense Force were looking to make that leap when they hosted last place Georgetown Ibayani at the M.C.C. Grounds yesterday.

The visitors quickly test Charlie Slusher in the B.D.F. goal with this ground offering that could not penetrate the target even under the soggy conditions of the pitch.

At the other end Deon McCauly responds for the city team with this high powered left foot that only crashes into the side netting.

In the meantime folks this is the result of an away from the ball foul on Georgetown’s Luis Duano – he wouldn’t return and consequently Erwin Flowers is unceremoniously marched off the field of play for ungentlemanlike conduct.

At the restart, Jerome Serano fires this left foot with bad intention but Ibayani’s keeper Karim Westby stands firm. On this press Serano centers into the danger zone to Azizi Swazo who is hindered by good defense.

Azizi Swazo then tries to make amends on this delightful pass from Deon McCauly and again he can’t find the target.

Now watch this play carefully as Westby, the Ibayani keeper, commits an infraction when he plays this ball twice leading to an indirect free kick at his very goal mouth.

The set piece geared towards a shot from Deon McCauly – it hits a defender, bounces to Nigel Cayetano who makes no mistake. The B.D.F. leads 1-zip at the thirty-second minute.

The Army wants more so McCauly fires this screamer that travels wide.

In second half Georgetown goes more offensive and indeed Ryan Simpson should have done better with this service.

Georgetown then sends for Bent Burgess and he gets this look that he absolutely botches. Of course Burgess does make up for that error with this wonderful serve to Deon Burgess who deftly slices with the right foot to tie the ball game at one a piece, seventy-one minutes in.

Georgetown now looks to grab the lead when Ryan Simpson sets table for Bent Burgess who overruns the pill. Mr. referee don’t you think Serano is being pulled on his jersey right here and deserves a penalty, but such is life in the Tropics.

Meanwhile folks, Georgetown looks to steal the three points off this spot kick and are only foiled by the intervention of Charlie Slusher.

Folks, in the waning moments Ibayani gets this look at goal and we’re not sure if it’s a pass or an attempt to score – the fact, nevertheless, is the ball rolls outside the sticks. The B.D.F. and Georgetown settle for a 1-1 score.

In other action around the league, Santels routed Revolutionary Conquerors 5 – 1. Suga Boys Juventus scored F.C. Belize 1-zip and Hankook Verdes doubled Wagiya 4 – 2. Thus the standings look like this after nine outings: Hankook Verdes leads with seventeen points; the B.D.F. is next with fourteen; both Juventus and Wagiya show thirteen points apiece; F.C. Belize and Santels have around twelve each, San Pedro eleven, Revolutionary Conquerors nine and Georgetown remains in the cellar with six points.

This week’s schedule finds all Sunday matches on the program. San Pedro will host Suga Boys, Georgetown travels to Hankook Verdes, Wagiya will be at home against Santels, and it’s the Belize City derby at the M.C.C. Grounds when F.C. Belize clashes with the B.D.F.

In Super League Football results, Texmar Boys blanked Roots F.C. – 3-zip; Barrio Fino edged Kraal Road 2 to 1; Estrellas F.C. dazzled Alpha Barcelona 3 – nothing while the Belmopan Bandits bombed Adventurers 6 to 1.

On Saturday’s schedule Adventurers take on Texmar and Roots F.C. will host Belmopan. On Sunday Estrellas journey to Benque D.C. United and Alpha Barcelona will be at home at O.W. against Barrio Fino.

Turning to the cycling scene, some forty-seven riders are lined up for Saturday’s start to the eleventh Alpheus Williams Cycling Classic in a race that runs fifty miles from Capital City Belmopan to Belize City and here’s the start from in front of Belmopan Comprehensive.

At the Mahogany Heights station prize Branden Cattouse nips speedster Gregory Lovell for that win. Marlon Castillo steps up to be recognized at Rockville. But Cattouse returns to grab the prize at Hattieville. Mateo Cruz then displays his stuff by grabbing the last station prize at Mile eight and he does look like Captain Quick Draw.

At tape time it’s a massive field sprint looking for the big win. To the right of your screen Gregory Lovell makes his move and some think he might have crossed into Darnell Barrows’ path – but Lovell nevertheless hangs on for the big win. Darnell Barrows settles for second, Big Mike Lewis, that wily veteran, pulls up third, Marlon Castillo fourth while Roque Matus, another veteran, rounds out the top five. Lovell was clocked at two hours flat.

Gregory Lovell, Winner
“I realize that it hard fi mi go and I just try to sit down and not work too hard and drop latta attacks, right, because ih noh necessary and ih the come down to the finish so I just try and follow and ride smart.”

Kwame Scott
“You’ve proven yourself as a sprinter amongst major foreign competition in the tour and so forth, however the Benny’s team they are charging that you made an illegal power cut somewhere coming on to the finish line. What do you have to say about this?”

Gregory Lovell
“Well I seh anything about that because inna the M & M Tour ih really hard because when I ride dah tour there you had lot of pushing with the Americans and it really aggressive. I noh see any illegal act in this race because I think I ride fair.”

Darnell Barrow, Second Place
“In the sprint I was behind Mateo because Mateo mek the first move but his foot jump out of his pedal and I came around him and I kept my lane but Greg was on the left hand side and he came across and came in front of me but the sprint was alright.”

In the meantime Perry Gibson, Manager of Benny’s Megabytes has launched a protest to the Belize Cycling Association because of his perceived infraction by the winner, Gregory Lovell.

Perry Gibson, Manager Benny’s Megabytes
“The protest is in relation to the line of forward motion coming into the finish. By the regulations once a rider picks his line, once he is impeded in terms…he has to keep that line to the finish, you cannot cut across. And what the association has just said in looking at it that they saw him come across but he did not impede. But I am telling them…they said he didn’t grab any brakes, you don’t have to grab brakes. You have to keep your line by the regulations of the U.C.I. and that is what we are using. You should keep your line. Once you cross over or veer over into the line of another rider you should be relegated to the back of the group that you are with. That is the regulation and it is on that basis that I am filing a protest.”

Hopefully, we will be able to give you further information as this situation develops people, so stay tuned.

In other cycling news yesterday’s Santino’s race saw Phillip Dawson take the Saturday forty minute ride in one hour fifty-five minutes eight seconds. Warren Coye took second; the Chief, Santino Castillo pulled up third in his won race; Ronald “Jack” Sutherland finished fourth, while Fred Usher rounds out the top five.

Hey folks, before we close we got to tell you that Sports Monday certainly mourns the passing of Michael “Magal” Jones. He was a football man and a true Belizean.

That’s it for now though. We invite you back same time, same place, next week. Jah over all, I’m James Adderley.