New Women’s Cycling Champion, Holy Saturday Race Up Next

Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. The Thirty-Fourth Annual Women’s Cross Country Cycling Classic was held on Sunday. Nine riders took their positions at the starting line in San Ignacio for the seventy-mile race to the Digi Park in Belize City.  Here is an overview of the race with the help of the Cycling Federation of Belize.

 

In Georgeville, eight riders were racing together, with only one lagging behind. Leading the pack was American elite rider Jade Stevens. The federation also allowed two junior riders and one youth rider to join the big race. That group of eight dwindled down to four riders in Roaring Creek Village. Francine Gigli broke away in front of Garbutt’s Puma Gas Station with sixteen-year-old junior rider Irene Baki on the chase. Gigli ultimately secured a twelve-hundred-dollar station prize at the Belmopan roundabout. The race took on a new dynamic outside of Mahogany Heights when Baki broke away from a group of five lead riders. Baki continued to pry open a gap as the sole lead rider until American Jade Stevens rode across the gap alone and caught up with her eight minutes later.

 

Stevens and Baki shared the lead, with a six-minute gap between the chase group, all the way up to the entrance to Belize City. Stevens launched an attack against Baki at that point and rode away from the junior rider. Folks, Stevens rode across the finish line at the Digi Park all alone with more than a minute to spare before fans caught sight of Baki turning the corner towards the finish line. Stevens is now the Thirty-Fourth Women’s Cross Country Champion, with Irene Baki finishing in second place. The race for third was a thrilling sprint to the finish between Francine Gigli and Junior Rider Lianni Choto, with Gigli clinching the third spot. Interestingly, Baki, Choto, and Chelsey Gillett all competed in last week’s Junior Cross Country Cycling Classic, where Baki came out on top. We heard from both Stevens and Baki after Sunday’s race.

 

Jade Stevens, Champion, 34^th Women’s Cross Country

“Very competitive, very strategic in the beginning. I thought we could work together, but I could see that sometimes it was either people trying to slow me down or come behind me or try to make me do more work. That is how it goes, strategy, trying to make me do some work. That was very strategic, shout out to Lovell team for putting on the pressure.”

 

Irene Baki, Sub-Champion, 34^th Women’s Cross Country

“To be honest I feel great, because I could not believe that I actually come in second and I actually manage to come in with the foreigner, until she let me go. But that is fine, because I feel like I did a lot and achieve a lot. So I feel very happy about this. And I just did a cross country last week and I came in first and now this one I came in second, I am really proud.”

Proud, as she should feel, congratulations to all the ladies that competed in this one. It was nothing short of a thrilling race. The final showdown of the cycling season takes place on Saturday. Yes, I am talking about the Ninety-Fifth Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic. Glenn Flowers, the President of the Cycling Federation of Belize and Secretary General Leticia Westby gave us some insight into what can be expected of the highly anticipated showdown.

 

Glenn Flowers, President, C.F.B.

“I am anticipating that this is going to be one of the biggest, best cross country coming up. We have our local guys and a few foreigners that will be contesting us, but I am looking for a fantastic race coming up this Holy Saturday.”

 

Leticia Westby, General Secretary, C.F.B.

“We have on a norm we have about seventy to eighty riders that will be participating. This is where we have the influx of Belizean Americans that will be enjoying the sea and sun and we have already approved twenty-five foreign riders, talking about Canada, U.S.A, all the way down to Venezuela, Honduras.”

 

And now, let’s switch gears from cycling to football! The Belize District First Division Football Closing Season is heating up, with Ceasar Ridge FC on a winning streak. They faced off against Old Road Defenders and dominated the match, finishing with a 2-0 victory. The first goal was scored early in the second half by Jacon Joseph. His shot towards the goal was a second attempt by his team after the goalkeeper deflected the first shot towards the goal. The second goal came late in the second half. And it was a very costly one. A hard tackle by Old Road’s goalkeeper sent Ajani Vaughn to the ground. The ball still went into the goal, but Vaughn suffered a serious foot injury. He was attended to by medics and taken off the field on a stretcher with what appeared to be a displaced knee.

 

That is how this one ended. We also captured highlights from the match between Kelly Street and Hattieville United. Kelly Street defeated Hattieville United by three goals to zero. The first goal was scored by Delroy Andrews in the twenty second minute. Steven Baizar came from behind in the fifty-first minute to put his team up by two goals. Francis Andrews sealed the game for his team with the third goal one minute before the end of regular time. Well folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. I am Paul Lopez.