Kaya Cattouse Lashes Out at CFB, Federation Responds

Former Women’s Cross-Country Champion Kaya Cattouse was a no-show for the thirty-fourth race on Sunday. She was expected to compete, but a few days before the race, she raised concerns that might have led to her withdrawal. On Facebook, Cattouse claimed that the Cycling Federation approved junior women riders to race on Sunday, not to support their development, but to meet a sponsorship quota. She argued that the federation was taking the easy way out by putting these young riders in a competition that’s not suitable for their age, instead of doing the hard work to develop female cyclists. The federation responded, saying the decision had nothing to do with sponsorship. We spoke with President Glenn Flowers and General Secretary Leticia Westby.

 

Glenn Flowers, President, Cycling Federation of Belize

“There is a lot of challenges coming towards it and we made a decision. We contacted the CCU  and our counterparts outside. We asked the question and they said it is ok as long as we monitor it and have a timeframe that you can cut off. Clearly it speaks for itself that the kids are ready and they did well.”

 

Paul Lopez

“Was any sort of winds taken from your sails given that former cross country champ Kaya did not participate yesterday?”

 

Leticia Westby, Secretary General, Cycling Federation of Belize

“I would say that she has been the role model for female cycling in Belize. Her not participating yesterday, I perceive the competition yesterday covered that. It was a good competition. Yes her being there would have added and could have produced a Belizean win. But the young girls she was stating was not ready for the competition, we saw differently. It was not us asking them, it was them asking us if they can participate. Of course we know we had an event for them specifically because that is how we are trying to develop women cycling.”

 

Glenn Flowers

“What the junior cyclist came to me and said is that in their preparation for their championship they were practicing a hundred miles and they were not doing the exact miles. They were convincing me that they were ready because they were not only training for their race. They were doing a hundred miles so they know they could compete and do well.”