American claims 79th Cross Country garland
James Adderley
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and it is with great pleasure to welcome you to this splash of Sports Monday. The magic of the annual Cross Country Cycling Classic permeates this Holy Saturday morning. A large multitude has assembled to experience the rush at the start of the seventy-ninth edition. Some one hundred and thirty-five riders, including at least eighteen foreigners belonging to some twenty teams are suited up in search of the garland in this one hundred and forty miles race that began way back in 1928.
To the left of your screen is the defending champion Shane Vasquez of Cayo, flanked by who should be his biggest challenger this year, Marlon Castillo. And the journey to the West to the turn around point at San Ignacio begins amid the plethora of colours lit up with the high hopes of an ambitious pack.
Just before we arrive at Hattieville, the first real figure of the even emerges. Deive Ibanez, riding for the Guatemala’s Café Quetzal jumps out in a big way and runs for some fifteen miles before he is reeled in by the chase group that includes Giovanni Froggy Leslie, Giovanni Choto, and Juan Manuel Sandoval.
When the train hurtles through Roaring Creek, there’s only the slightest of fragmentation up front to preclude the description as solid. This is the lead four that emerged out of the new configuration, but this amalgamation simply leads to this two man alliance of Peter Choto and the indefatigable Deivi Ibanez of Guatemala.
This alliance finds the duo head to head going into the turning point at San Ignacio. Peter Choto is fortunately allowed to take this one by Ibanez who goes the wrong way—of all the things to do. By the time the race reaches Georgeville, Choto has been shrugged off and Ibanez is unaccompanied up front.
And here’s the ambitious Guatemalan finally accepting the inevitable, but not until he had taken the station prizes up to and including Roaring Creek.
Around mile twenty-seven, it’s Ismael Ponce of Acros Smiling and Jose Choto of C-Ray trying to make a run. Unfortunately, by mile twelve and a half Jose Choto has fallen victim to the vicious pace and Ponce now is the man alone up front.
At mile eight, twelve riders have extricated themselves from the main pack led by Lisandro Acu and including Jeffrey Zelaya, Deivi Ibanez, Anthony Taylor, Juan Sandoval, Shane Vasquez, Roger Troyer, Mateo Cruz, and of course Boyd Johnson have their man in sight; they can see the numbers on his back. The big twelve remains intact as they approach the entrance into Belize City. On the way to the Marion Jones Sporting Complex, the lead pack is only ten-man strong.
Here is the turn going into the Marion Jones for the two-lap finish. And it’s Body Johnson in the lead. This is a good look at the lead ten just before the fireworks begin. Going into the final turn Shane Vasquez has the pace, followed by Stephen Boyd, Mateo Cruz, works up to a good position. Tony Taylor attacks on the outside, but Body Johnson of Western Spirit has the kick and turns it up to take the seventy-ninth Cross Country title in a record time of five hours, forty-seven minutes, thirty-three seconds.
Anthony Taylor, the Jamaican American riding for M and M takes second, Ismael Ponce of Acros Smiling gets third, Miguel Angel Diaz of Café Quetzal finishes fourth, while Roger Troyer of Sagitun is the first Belizean to finish line as he rounds out the top five. Walter Gaiten of the Nicaraguan riding for Roaring Creek is sixth, Mateo Cruz of Santino’s is seventh, Nery Velasquez of M and M is eighth, Shane Vasquez of Western Spirit is ninth, while Giovanni Leslie of Santino’s rounds out the top ten.
Boyd Johnson, Winner
“All race long we were working for Shane. He is a very, very good talent; I think he is one of the best cyclist in Belize. But we knew that if it came down to a sprint I had a little better kick from him and we just wanted to keep the Western Spirit team winning. It’s a very special win. We don’t have any race like this in the United States. The fans out there are amazing, the support of cycling is amazing and that’s why I want to come down to Belize as much as possible. You guys put on a great race down here.”
Anthony Taylor, 2nd Place
“I felt great; it’s just I was just coming in by myself. I needed a team mate, at least to help me sort through the puddle that was going on because it was kinda treacherous up there, getting bumped and all that kind of stuff. But you know, I can’t blame it on anyone, I just didn’t do enough to win.”
Kwame Scott, Sportscaster
“You’ve come very close to winning this time, where do you go from here?”
Roger Troyer, 5th Place
“Continue training, get stronger for next year.”
Kwame Scott
“Can I ask you though; are you satisfied with your performance?”
Roger Troyer
“Yes, I am very satisfied. I am not a sprinter and I came very close there and the type of training that I have been putting in, I think it paid off.”
Shane Vasquez, 9th Place
“In the last lap of the race I was trying to come out and try to do a good sprint. But then I didn’t feel much like that, I had it for sprinting, so the best I could have done was just to lead out my team mate and have him take the win for the team today.”
Kwame Scott
“From the way you speak, I presume that you are satisfied with your performance today.”
Shane Vasquez
“Well indeed I am satisfied with my performance. I tried to my best to get away to try to do a solo win, but it didn’t work out for us, but the other strategy that we set did work out for the team.”
Okay, just in case you’ve missed the big picture we blast you with the past. Here is Milford Ramsey who finished second in 1946 and 1948.
James Adderley
“When you are looking back, seeing how this sport has grown to be the spectacle it has become, how do you feel about your performance back then?”
Melford Ramsey, Former Cyclist
“Well I believe—I think I was very great for the type of bicycle we had and road conditions. Because remember we never had pave road this side, we had to come all the way through yah. We had a hundred and sixty-odd miles to complete. We did that journey in ten hours and forty-four minutes. Yes, everybody said we could come back in the night because it was the first time we ever try it, but we did it in ten hours. We were here by six minutes to four in the evening.”
Naturally, the tradition continues so let’s do it again next year.
Turning to the football scene, here’s the results from the RFG insurance Cup tournament from play over the weekend. It was at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium that Tex Mar Boys and F.C. Belize rallied to a scoreless draw. Belmopan Bandits burn Honkook Verdes 1-zip, and Toledo United and Wagiya battled at Toledo Union field where Wagiya was able to pick up the 1-zip W.
Over in group B, Suga Boy Juventus and Revolutionary Conquerors battled to a 2-2 stalemate. At the Norman Broaster Stadium Santel’s used the home field advantage to hurt Alph Glitters 3-1, while SP Costa del Sol Nairi’s really put a hurting on Pickstock Lake to the tune of 4-1.
Looking at the schedule for this weekend, on Saturday the fourteenth, Tex Mar Boys will face Wagiya inside the Michael Ashcroft Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Also at 7:30 p.m., the Belmopan Bandits get together with Toledo United at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium. On Sunday in Group A, Hankook Verdes and F.C. Belize will battled it out inside the Norman Broaster Stadium; that’s a 4:00 pm start.
Over in Group B, Revolutionary Conquerors and Santel’s will meet inside the Carl Ramos Stadium at 4:00 p.m. Alpha Glitters does battle with SP Costal del Sol Nairi’s at the People’s Stadium in Orange Walk, also at 4:00 p.m. Pickstock Lake will battle Suga Boy Juventus at the M.C.C. Grounds, hopefully the Pickstock Lake will finally be able to pick up that first W for the season.
Finally, in horseracing news from the Boom card on Easter Monday, Cash Money took the G Class three furlongs; Blessed Kid ran away with the F Class four furlong; Carolina took the E Class six furlong. Sir Charles triumphed in the D Class five furlong; Unfinished Business grabbed the C Class five furlong; Done Deal was victorious in the Thoroughbred Allowance Class six furlong, Watch me Run took the B Class six furlong, and Bolt Assault took the Travellers One Barrel Classic in a mighty upset.
Hey folks, that’s our show for today. We invite you back same time next week. Jah over all, I am James Adderley.
