Email

Print

The KREM New Year’s Day Cycling Race is a classic – which means that it’s one of the crown jewels on the cycling calendar – a race that carried both prestige and national pride. So tonight when you hear the news that the first and second place finishers are both named Carlos Hernandez – one from Guatemala and one from Mexico – you might wince slightly. And when you learn that the third, fourth and fifth place finishers are also from those neighbouring countries, you may want to shake you head wearily. And while that’s the end result – there were ninety – three miles of road between where the story started and where it ended – and our Codie Norales was on the back of a motorcycle for all of it.

Jules Vasquez Reporting,
68 of Belize’s elite riders lined up for the 20th. Annual KREM New Year’s Day Cycling Classic. 2007 Champ Shane Vasquez-Aburto was present. Two time champion Michael Lewis was there as well as another two timer – this one the defending champion Marlon Castillo.

At 9:00 am sharp, the race rolled out from the northern border and it started with no one eager to attack. Thee group of riders thick, languid and on a moderate pace. The riders were cooled early by a light drizzle and going into Corozal town, the pack remained intact but started to thin out as they left Corozal.

Byron Pope won the sprint for the station prize in San Joaquin. At the Libertad turn, there were 5 riders out in front, and the leader was Guatemalan Miguel Perez. They were reeled in shortly after and the main group was consolidated again. But around mile 75, Belizean Arnidez Rivas walked away from the pack – a move that would shape the entire race.

Within 5 miles of making his move, he had broken out to a one minute lead. #29 Riding for team Zamir made a 47 mile solo run keeping up a pace of about 24 miles an hour, and won 11 station prizes while the pack stayed lumped together.

Here you see Donizetti Vasquez-Aburto-Aburto a Mexican going down. Both Donizetti and Greg Lovell fell in that spill (apparently caused by a dog running across the road) – and while both appeared hurt – Lovell even had to change his wheel – both men would work their way back with the pack and finish in the top ten

And while they had to fight to get back – Rivas was out in front on his own and he rolled through his hometown of Orange Walk unaccompanied, greeted by a smattering of applause. And what was lacking in turnout was compensated for in the richest single cash prize of the race – a thousand dollars at Shell One-Stop. And that he claimed it alone seemed fine with the pack – which was not working with any real sense of urgency coming out of Orange Walk And at mile 40, Rivas had a lead of 5:47

But that’s as big as it would get because Rivas was visibly suffering, standing on his pedals, trying to stretch cramping muscles, while grimacing. and knowing his time at the front would soon finish. At mile 37, he gave us a wave and popped his collar – his imprint on this rage had been huge – but like all players, his time on the stage was fleeting.

But the contenders weren’t playing – and the chase started in the rain. At Crooked Tree, the tempo had increased and somewhere around mile 28, Rivas’s 40 mile break was over as he was reeled in by a hard charging team Zamir cyclist followed by Greggy Lovell. They led briefly but by Gerald Garbutt’s farm the pack had pulled them in as well.

At Sandhill Donizetti Vasquez-Aburto - the same one who had been in the crash – and Mexican Carlos Manuel Hernandez were in the lead. Hernandez finished second in last year’s Cross Country. At the Boom junction Froggy Leslie on a big gear pulled the pack forward to chase down the leaders. But heading into the city near Leslie’s Block Factory Guatemalan Miguel Perez and Mexican Cesar Vaquera were all alone. And into the home stretch near Traveller’s only those two were in the frame – and that’s when our cycle had to depart for the finish line.

But at the tape it was another story as Guatemalan Carlos Hernandez sailed in first, followed by Mexican Carlos Manuel Hernandez in second, Costa Rican Marcos Salas Arias was third, Mexican Cesar Vaquera was fourth and Guatemalan Miguel Perez was fifth.

Wondering where the Belizeans are? Well....one and a half minutes later Darnell Barrow was the first Belizean, followed by Domingo Lewis, Greg Lovell, Jairo Campos and then in tenth Mexican Donizetti Vasquez-Aburto. And while foreigners dominated, the man who won – a Guatemalan riding for a Mexican team praised the calibre of competition.

Carlos Hernandez, Winner
“I think that the experience that I have gotten here in Belize helped me because here the race is run differently than many races in other countries especially Guatemala. Here you must have a lot of technique and tactics to not suffer much because here there are many flat roads and a lot of heat. Today wasn’t a sunny day, but here the race is run at a level superior to other countries because the pace is tough.”

Apaprnetly it was too tough for defending champ Marlon Castillo who came in 27th while Rivas who led all alone for 40 miles came in 31st.

The average speed of the race was just over 25 miles and hour and the finish time was three hours thirty nine minutes which is considered fast. In the women’s race which went from Orange Walk to Belize City Shalini Zabaneh was first and Anthea Sutherland was second with Fiona Humes in third. Five women participated.