“Jawmain” wins day 6 but Quetzal still leads tour
Today was day six of the M and M Tour of Belize and News Five’s James Adderley was once again up with the roosters.
James Adderley, Reporting
The bright young face of Daniel Quetzal displays the intensity of a race leader trying to hold off a hungry pack on day six of the M&M cycling Tour 2006 as the sixty-six riders remaining of the seventy-one that started, take off from in front of Leslie?s Imports in the early hours of this morning.
The Sun Digital Photo team, which features Quetzal in the yellow jersey, immediately try to protect their rider by controlling the pace from the front.
But by the time the bonus sprint comes up at the Almond Hill, two Santino riders, Enrique Rodriguez of Guatemala and Giovanni ?Froggy? Leslie, have broken away as the visitor cops the preemie.
Folks, here?s Gregory Lovell in second place overall wearing the white jersey, representing the leading under twenty-three rider in this tour.
Reigning Cross Country champion Bill Elliston currently in fifth place overall, wears the mountain climber colours.
Mateo Cruz comes in today wearing the sprinter?s jersey, while Kenny Gladden has captured the jersey for the best category three and four rider in the tour and we say, you?re stepping up big time Kenny G.
At the turn around point at the Boom cut-off on the Northern Highway it?s still Rodriguez and Leslie on the pace. However, by the time the race reaches Almond Hill for the bonus sprint on the return, it?s Marlon Castillo of Santino?s walking out of the pack to grab that five seconds.
Okay, we?re at the finish for today?s fifty miler and again it?s a field sprint featuring all riders, and again it?s a head-on clash between Gregory Lovell and Ernest Meighan. Lovell won yesterday, but today it?s Jawmain exacting sweet vengeance. Marlon Castillo pulls up third, Shane Weaver holds on for fourth place, while Carlos Gabriel Hernandez rounds the top five finishers from stage six.
Ernest Meighan, Winner, Stage Six
?I know it was very close. My team-mates see that I get the edge a little over him when I pushed my bike at the tape; it?s like beating him with experience. But I didn?t really worry about the green jersey, but after the check yesterday, Greg Lovell was one point behind Mateo and we were trying to work for Mateo to win the green jersey because he?s in a good situation that he can win it. So with the green jersey points, we give Mateo the opportunity to win the points for the green jersey. But I realised that Greg is a good sprinter, he got a good domestic to bring him on the spot … for example yesterday he got a good jump on me, that?s why he beat me. Nuff respect to Greg, he is a good sprinter and he got a good team around him. So today I just prepare and set for him because everybody say that Greg is the man to beat and he is the man to beat. I give him Nuff respect, but today proved who?s the better man.?
Greg Lovell, 2nd Overall, M&M Tour
?Today dah mi wah really hard stage noh and like how I win yesterday, Ernest Meighan di watch me. He mi deh on my wheel the whole race and he say that he can?t let me goh and mek I try get away with this win again, so …?
James Adderley
?But you were aware coming into the tape that had you won you would have worn the yellow jersey today??
Greg Lovell
?Yes I know that, but?well I was trying to get the bonus points and that burnt me out a little bit.?
Nevertheless after six stages and three hundred and thirty-five miles covered, Daniel Quetzal of Sun Digital Photo remains the leader of the pack, with Gregg Lovell in second, Mateo Cruz third, Jose Choto fourth, while Bill Elliston rounds out the top five overall leaders going into stage seven which comes up tomorrow.
In closing, we just want to say thank you to G.W.R. Productions for their kind assistance. This is James Adderley reporting for News Five.
James will check in with us again on tomorrow’s newscast.
