The 19th KREM New Year’s Day Cycling Classic was indeed an exciting and pleasant way to start the New Year, as the best in Belizean cyclists, over a hundred of them in the various racing categories, gave it their all, and provided ‘nuff thrills to the many spectators who lined the roadside in the various towns and villages along the route of the race, and at its finish on the Boulevard in Belize City. The most pleasant aspect, of course, was that the top prize, the Male/Elite championship was taken by a Belizean, Marlon Castillo (M/Under 23) of the Santino’s cycling team. And he did it in record fashion, taking all the station prizes from the Maskall Village marker onwards, and crossing the finish line in 3:29:55, some 18 minutes under last year’s mark. Winning the sprint for second place a minute later, was his Santino’s teammate, Gregory Lovell (M/Elite), followed in 3rd place by Panamanian Christian McNish (M/Elite) of Benny’s Megabytes.
83 riders, including 14 foreigners, started the Elite race from the Corozal Free Zone to Belize City, a distance of 93 miles, and with the blistering pace averaging 26.6 miles per hour, only 54 finished. The rest of the top twenty finishers, all of whom received cash prizes, were, in 4th place – Brandon Cattouse (M/Elite, C-Ray); 5th – Byron Pope (M/Under 23, Benny’s Megabytes); 6th – Elston Coleman (M/Under 23, Santino’s); 7th – Leroy Casasola (M/Masters, Santino’s); 8th – Guatemalan Lisandro Ajcu (M/Elite, Santino’s); 9th – Jose Choto (M/Masters, Sugar City Boyz); 10th – Mexican Gilberto Martinez Santiago (M/Under 23, Micar Team); 11th – Peter Choto (M/Under 23, Sugar City Boyz); 12th – American Christopher Monteleon (M/Under 23); 13th – Giovanni Leslie (M/Elite, Santino’s); 14th – Quinton Hamilton (M/Masters, Sugar City Stars); 15th – Hernan Ochaeta (M/Under 23, Sugar City Boyz); 16th – Guatemalan Nery Velasquez (M/Elite, Sugar City Boyz); 17th – Kyne Gentle (M/Under 23, Western Spirit); 18th – Glenn O’Brien (M/Masters, Santino’s); 19th – Geovanni Choto (M/Under 23, Sugar City Stars); and 20th – Mexican Donizetti Vasquez Aburto (M/Under 23, Micar Team).
Trophies for the Masters category went to 1st Master, Leroy Casasola (Santino’s); 2nd was Jose Choto (Sugar City Boyz); and 3rd Quinton Hamilton (Sugar City Stars).
24 Juniors and 4 Females started their version of the KREM Classic together from in front of the Orange Walk Town Hall, and travelled to the same finish on the Boulevard in Belize City, for a total of 52 miles. And the Females held on to the Junior riders much of the way, only being left behind in the second bunch around Mile 36, when a group of about 8 Juniors broke away from the main peloton.
Eventually, 15-year-old Santa Elena resident Austin Armstrong of Vega Crystal Cyclng Club separated himself from the lead pack a couple miles outside of Belize City at the 1st roundabout , and rode in unchallenged to take the Junior title. In 2nd place was Roaring Creek’s 17-year-old Trevon Salazar (Team Indeco), followed by 16-year-old Daniel Choto (Vega Crystal Cycling Club) in 3rd. 4th was 16-year-old Eduar Burns (Team Smart); 5th – 17-year-old Tariq Cano (Team Indeco); 6th – 16-year-old Steven Dixon (Team Smart); 7th – 17-year-old Benjamin Flowers (Vega Crystal Cycling Club); 8th – 14-year-old Deezan Spence (Vega Crystal), the youngest rider, who took the first station prize at Mile 40; 9th – 15- year-old Kyle Gentle (Team Indeco); and 10th – 17-year-old Geon Hanson (Team Indeco). (Next year, the present 17-year-olds will no longer be eligible for the Juniors, who must be under 18 years.)
Meanwhile, two of the Female riders, Shalini Zabaneh and American Lori Harkey, who shared all the Female station prizes from Mile 25 onwards, had managed to hold their own with the second bunch of Junior cyclists, all the way to the sprint for the finish. In this one, American Lori Harkey (Hicapi Coca Cola) edged out Shalini (Sagitun) for the Female championship. 3rd place for the Females was taken by Gina Lovell (Team Lovell).
The top finishing prize for the KREM Classic Champion consisted of $1,500 cash, a bull valued at $500 courtesy of Edmund Castro, a round trip ticket to the USA courtesy of American Airlines, in addition to the winner’s trophy. Second prize was $1,000 plus a trophy, and 3rd $750 plus a trophy. All top twenty Elite finishers received cash prizes of reducing value.
The Female prizes included, for 1st place – $500 plus a gold ring valued at $1,200 from J.E.C., plus a trophy; 2nd place – $300; and 3rd – $200.
The Juniors took home, for 1st place – $300 plus a trophy; 2nd place – $200; and 3rd – $100.
The $7,025 worth of finishing prizes was in addition to a large array of station prizes in cash and kind, most notable of which was the $1,000 Elite station prize at Shell One Stop in Orange Walk Town, which was won by Mexican Donizetti Vasquez Aburto (Micar Team).