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The 82nd running of the Cross Country Cycling Classic is on Saturday. As of tonight - 97 riders have signed up to ride for the garland, they are spread out among 16 teams, and 19 of them are foreigners. Notably, the contingent of foreigners will not include last year’s champ Mexican Carlos Lopez. But even without Carlos Lopez – all eyes will be on those 19 foreign riders because Belize’s wounded pride needs a local hero to re-claim the garland. Here is a preview.

Keith Swift Reporting,
Hearts were broken on January 1st when Guatemalan Carlos Hernandez sailed across the finish line to win the Krem New Year’s Day Cycling Classic. 6 weeks later – a record was broken in the Valentine’s Cycling Classic when Marlon Castillo crossed the finish line 13 minutes ahead of the previous record. And a month later – it was Jose Choto who dominated the Belmopan Cycling Classic.

But those were just the preliminaries; the big dance is on Holy Saturday where a pack of more than 100 cyclists will ride for the garland. Geovanni Froggie Leslie was at the front of this morning’s speed ride and he is at the top of most lists.

Geovanni Froggie Leslie, Team Santino’s
“I feel good right here how I am. I think I will do good. Do I feel good as last year? No. I don’t feel nowhere to where I was last year. I just, based on my performance throughout the year because last year I was doing better performance for example last year I won the Belmopan Classic, even though I came in second this year, I still don’t feel I am on top of my game. I will ride all I could ride for this Cross Country and if I win I will be happy with that and if I don’t win then so be it.”

And one rider Froggie will be able to rely on is his team mate Domingo Lewis.

Domingo Lewis, Team Santino’s
“I feel great right now like how I have a hopeful man on my team, Giovanni Froggie Leslie. I will ride together to try to get Geovanni Froggie Leslie to bring back this garland to Belize.”

But Team Santino’s is no longer the dominant team – and so the competition for Froggie will be tough.

Allan Auil, Cycling Enthusiast
“The main persons to look out for are the foreigners. I’ll be honest with you, this will be the strongest field of foreigners ever to come for a Cross Country. In the past we’ve had this calibre of foreigners in the race but maybe one or two in one particular race. I think this year we will have about eight riders who are clearly professional riders, head and shoulders above the majority of the Belizeans and I think we have to look at foreigners who really have the highest chance to win.

I believe that they have the best foreigner in the race, Santino’s in Hugo Hector Rangel, a Mexican who I believe may very well be the one to cross the finish line first. I believe he is the number one foreigner in the race.”

The question is can a Belizean win this year? – who would be the first Belizean to claim the garland in four years?

Edward Burns, C-Ray
“Most definitely I believe a Belizean can win this year but it all depends because the calibre of foreigners that are coming in, they aren’t no joke.”

Geovanni Froggie Leslie,
“All the Belizeans them are not ready, none of them are ready this year. All they do is worry about gial and worry about what you got and I don’t need no loving from no next gial, I have my woman at home, I don’t need to look for no woman. All the ones who are vex with me right now and I want you to put that on the air because a lot of them feel that you are getting a lot and I am not getting nothing from this, that is what I want them to understand.”

Keith Swift,
“You think a Belizean can win this year?”

Geovanni Froggie Leslie,
“There is only about three and you can take that to the book. There are three right now who are solid for the Cross Country and I am one of them so there are only two other man and all of them are from Cayo, all the Chotos, no next Belizean here in the town is ready, none.”

Allan Auil,
“Certainly Marlon Castillo is the main hope of Belize. He is the one that ahs the power and the ability to stay with the foreigners. There has always been a question about Marlon and whether he has the stamina for the distance, 140 miles, and I believe that this year it is time for him to show that he can handle the distance.”

And one Belizean who has won the race – is 1993 Cross Country Champ - Collet Bunas Maheia. He is returning to competitive cycling at the elite level this year after an 11 year hiatus.

Collet Bunas Maheia, Team Zamir
“I guess you could say I am back for one more. I feel prepared and I feel good because the team I am on is a very good team and there is no kind of pressure on me. I am here as more of rider-coach and an inspiration to the younger guys on this team and I have trained with them. I think we have good chemistry, of course Marlon Castillo is our leader but we have the three Choto brothers but I can tell you that Quinton Hamilton and Mateo Cruz are in very good condition this year and they have the confidence back.”

The final list of riders will be confirmed at tonight’s technical meeting. It is notable that Marlon Castillo and Mateo Cruz have traded in their Team Santino’s jerseys for Team Zamir while Roger Troyer has traded in his Team Zamir jersey for a Santino’s jersey. The race starts at 6 am.