Swede holds onto lead in M & M Tour of Belize

Since the M and M Tour of Belize started last weekend, participating cyclists have had to deal with blistering heat, blinding fog, driving rain, and of course fierce competition … But as the News Five sports team reports, today the men in tights had to reckon with high speed in the hills.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
At dawn today, stage seven of the M and M Tour of Belize dominated Fort Street as some one hundred and two riders were determined to complete the eighty-mile ride from Belize City to Benque Viejo del Carmen in impressive fashion. Coming off his dramatic win in Thursday’s time trial, Comfort Air’s Bjorn Anderson spent his fifth day in yellow. Sun Digital’s David Wiswell is in the sprinter’s green, and his two teammates own the climber’s polka dot jersey and the white for best under-twenty-three rider: riders Ryan Dewalt and Guy East respectively. Bike America’s Grant Potter is seeing red in his masters jersey and Belizean Teddy Vasquez riding for Cable DX Decorabanos is the best category three-four-five rider.

The early morning is shattered by excitement as the peloton leaves Fort Point for a lead out ride along Marine Parade and Princess Margaret Drive, heading to the official start line at mile one and a half on the Western Highway.

The peloton travels as a compact unit to the Belmopan junction, but just outside Roaring Creek, the first real breakaway threatens to go and stay gone. The hopefuls are Eric Keim of Santino’s AEG Toshiba; Chris Earnst riding for Alliance Environmental; Cayo native and C-Ray rider, Peter Choto; the Guatemalan National Team’s Johnny Morales; and Julian Yac of Cable DX Decarobanos.

The breakaway would extend a minute and half time difference over the peloton, but the pressure proves too great for the five man effort. Lead by no other than the yellow jersey, the pack inches ever closer and young Peter Choto is the first to feel the stress.

Before Benque, everybody is together again and it’s an uphill field sprint people! From the chaos and confusion, Frank Trevieso riding for Santino’s AEG Toshiba emerges victorious, clocking a time of 3:12:53. Alfredo Flores of Cable DX Decorabanos claims second, while third belongs to the Guatemalan National Team’s Carlos Hernandez. Belizeans Darnell Barrow and Robert Mariano, both of Benny’s Megabytes, give us patriotic pride as their sprints are good enough for fourth and fifth.

Frank Trevieso, Stage Seven Winner
“We tried to attack the yellow jersey all day, but that guy is real strong. It’s unbelievable. We started chasing behind him like thirty miles an hour, oh my goodness. That guy is real strong.”

Kwame Scott, Sports Reporter
“You in the overall general classification, you are not in the top standings, how important is the stage win for you?”

Frank Trevieso
“The stage win for me is real great. It’s another win for Santino, we won some stages already and one we got second in the time trial, so we’re doing a real good job in this race.”

Kwame Scott
“David how was the ride today?”

David Wiswell
“It was good, with the rain it was a little difficult, a little dangerous at the points, but really good course and happy with the day. I think the team rode really well, aggressive and fast racing out there.”

Kwame Scott
“Out of the six jerseys offered in this tour, your team owns three, but still today you guys haven’t gained a single second on the race leader. What’s your plan tomorrow?”

David Wiswell
“I don’t know, the race leader he’s so strong, he was on the front a long time today and I think we’re hoping that if we keep attacking and we can work together we’ll hopefully wear him down and finally put some time into him. We’ll see what happens tomorrow what happens and go from there.”

Bjorn Anderson, Yellow Jersey
“I feel okay and I think tomorrow will be by far the toughest stage and I think tomorrow will decide the tour.”

Kwame Scott
“I know you have your team along with you and you’re expecting them to protect you tomorrow, but in event that there’s any downfall from your team, can you go it alone against these guys?”

Bjorn Anderson
“I’ll have to try, that’s all I can do and hope for the best.”

The top five of the general classification remains unchanged, meaning Bjorn Anderson will once again start off as race leader on Saturday. But by all accounts stage eight will be D day of the tour as the cyclists will need physical strength, mental determination, and technical support to survive the hilly terrain between Benque to Dangriga and back to the Gap for an uphill finish. On behalf of Kwame Scott and James Adderley, I am Janelle Chanona reporting for News Five.