Who will win the New Year’s Cycling Classic?
Each municipality has its own celebrations to usher in the New Year. There may be private fireworks and countdown sessions across the country tonight, but come sunrise, 2013’s first national sporting event will be the annual Krem New Years Cycling Classic. The defending champion is Giovanni Choto, and according to spokesperson Kwame Scott, all eyes will be on the nation’s highways, as the race starts from Corozal at nine a.m.
Kwame Scott, Spokesperson, Krem Cycling Classic
“Twenty-three years ago the Kremandala Organization headed at the time by Gerald Garbutt, put a brainchild into reality and the first ever Krem Classic on New Year’s Day was born. Twenty-three years ago, no one figured that twenty-three later, it will be the second biggest race on the cycling calendar. It grew from a race from Orange Walk to Belize to a race from the northern border in Corozal Santa Elena to Belize City. Now what we have is tomorrow the twenty-third running will feature three categories. An elite/under twenty-three open race which si the big boys from Corozal to Belize City. The females and the juniors ride from Orange Walk to Belize City; they start at the Orange Walk Town Board. The main event, the big race for the big boys, start at nine o’clock in the morning. And the females and the juniors begin at nine-thirty—nine-thirty for the juniors and five minutes later, the females being. We are expecting sixty to seventy elite riders; five, six or seven female riders and about twenty-five to thirty junior riders.”
Jose Sanchez
Kwame Scott
“How has the race changed and progressed over the past couple decades?”
Kwame Scott
“The race has gotten so big in my opinion that it is the second biggest race on the cycling calendar next only to the cross country—talking about prizes, international participation and even social integration because it has become a part of our New Year’s day heritage where we cannot do some things until after the race is finished. The route of the race is the entire length of the Northern Highway, which is now the Philip Goldson Highway. And the villages along the way have supported. They have given prizes and they try to make sure that the cane trucks are not on the highway and it’s a community effort. It is for the country.”
Jose Sanchez
“Who were the top racers in last year’s event and should they have any competition this year that you are seeing?”
Kwame Scott
“The defending champion is Giovanni Choto, who incidentally is also the defending Cross Country Champion. He hails from Cayo and they ride for the Western Spirit Team who in my opinion they have the more solid team; ten strong out of Cayo. They also feature the Vasquez brothers—Shane and Aaron. The Choto brothers are five strong by the way. They also feature the Troyer brothers—Roger and Richard. And then there is Benny’s Megabytes who have Byron Pope, Herman Requeña, Allen Castillo, Mark Staine. The Santino’s Camp: Marlon Castillo is back, there is Gregory Lovell, always a perennial favorite; there is Leroy Cassasola lurking in the shadows. Then there is also Brandon Cattouse. And then there is also the other guys that you would say are wildcards: Quinton Hamilton, Jairo Campos and a host of others. So we are expecting a very competitive race.”
Jose Sanchez
“There is always a nationalist spirit when it comes to these to have a Belizean win. Are we getting a lot of strong international competition this year? it does help the sport.”
Kwame Scott
“From all indications, we will be having great competition from our northern neighbors in Mexico, the Depredadores cycling team. Donezeti Vasquez, a name that readily comes to mind, has been eating up almost everything in the Mexican area earlier this year. He is also a top ten finisher in the Cross Country for two years in a row. There is a guy Ayala. There is a five man team coming from the Depredadores camp and I think there is also a junior rider Mexican who ill be competing in the junior category.”
