Cycling Takes Center Stage in the Month of April

Good evening and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday. I’m Paul Lopez. Cycling fans all over the country are getting excited about the Annual Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic. Before the big event, we have two major weekend races. The first one, the Junior Cross Country Cycling Classic, took place on Sunday. Over two dozen junior and youth male riders started their race in San Jose Succotz Village, while the female junior and youth riders began in Cotton Tree Village. Here are some highlights from Sunday’s thrilling race, brought to you by the Cycling Federation of Belize. 

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting 

Turning on to the George Price Highway from the Loma Luz Boulevard in Santa Elena Town, many of the riders were still together in one group.  In Roaring Creek Village, there was a nasty spill involving five riders, including Guatemalan rider Kevin Rojas, who would later surprise the entire field of riders. Heading into Saint Matthew’s Village, Malachi Myvette and Ayden Busano were leading the race with a gap of forty seconds between the main field of riders.

 

 

 

With twenty-seven miles left to the finish line, it was still Myvette and Busano. They extended their lead to almost two minutes. Young Keith Enwright Junior broke away from the chase group, three hours into this one to catch up with Myvette and Busano. Guatemalan Kevin Rojas was involved in that spill early in the race, but he got back up and maintained pace with the chase group, until he decided to launch an attack outside of Rockville. Rojas broke away from the chase group and set his focus on the two lead riders.

 

 

 

Rojas caught up with the two lead riders shortly after. He then launched an attack on those two lead riders, showing that he still had a great deal of energy left in the tank. Rojas rode the rest of the race all alone. He spent approximately one hour in the lead before crossing the finish line in first place.  A chase group of five riders sprinted to the finish line for second and third place.  Kaden Sutherland finished in second place, while Keith Enwright Junior secured the third position. Notably, Kevin Rojas finished second place in 2024.

 

 

Kevin Rojas, Winner, Junior Cross Country Cycling Classic

“Bueno muchos gracias….”

He said thank you for the invitation, thanks to Belize for making him a part of this race, thank you to his teammate and family and everyone that supported him along the way.

 

 

 

In the female category, Irene Baki finished in first place, Liani Choto finished in second place while Kelsi Castillo secured the third position. This weekend will see elite women cyclist take to the George Price Highway for the Thirty-Fourth Annual Women’s Cross Country Cycling Classic.

 

 

 

 

From cycling, we move into some football action. The Belize District First Division Football Tournament is back for its closing season. Here are some match highlights from the game between Kelly Street and Ceasar Ridge Football Club. Four minutes into this one, Ceasar Ridge’s number twenty-one launches towards goal from midfield. Ajani Vaughan picked up on the kick inside the penalty box after it the ball bounced over the goal keeper’s head. Vaughan scored the first goal of the match.

 

 

Thirty-nine minutes into this one, Launie Leslie, with a kick towards goal from midfield. This one is precisely on target at went over the head of the goalkeeper and into goal. What a stunning shot from Leslie. Ceasar Ridge FC had two goals to zero lead at the end of the first half. The third goal of the match came in the last three minutes of the game. A kick towards goal from number three caught an opponent in the back. Devin McCauley took advantage of the pain his opponent was experiencing and launched an open shot towards the goal. Ceasar Ridge FC won this one, three goals to zero.

 

 

 

And finally, tonight, the Amadiyyah Basketball League wrapped up its finals over the weekend with exciting matches in five different categories. The top teams in the under-twelve, under-fifteen, under-eighteen males and females, and under-twenty-two categories battled it out. In the under-eigteen females’ category, Fenix Academy took on Sparks in a low-scoring game, with Fenix winning forty-two to twenty-four. The Mayan Men narrowly defeated the Titans in the under-twenty-two championship game, scoring fifty-eight points to the Titans’ fifty-six. Team 24/8 clinched the title in the under-eighteen male category, while Fenix Academy B team won the championship in the under-fifteen category. Lastly, Team MVP triumphed over ABS Hard Rock in the under-twelve category, securing their first league championship. 

 

Well folks that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.