BELIZE CITY, Wed. Apr. 12, 2023
Belizean Oscar Quiroz (Team 501 Valvoline) was the first rider across the finish line and won the 93rd running of the annual Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic on Saturday, April 8, in a time of 5 hours, 43 minutes and 19 seconds.
He out-distanced his nearest competitors Cory Williams 2nd (Team L39ION — 5:44:41), a Belizean American; and Johnathan Brown, 3rd (Team Miami Blazers —5:44:42), an American.
Quiroz won $11,000, 5 trophies, a cup, a championship jersey, $1,100 as the first Belizean across the finish line, and the traditional garland for his winning ride, but was also instantaneously lauded throughout the Belizean nation as “The King of the Country” as Belizean hearts swelled with pride.
111 cyclists registered and lined up for the start of the hemisphere’s longest, oldest one-day race, but none were Guatemalans, only one was Mexican, and eleven were Americans. Last year’s winner, Hasani Hennis from Anguilla, who currently rides for the Miami Blazers, also failed to register and defend his championship.
It has been 10 years since a resident Belizean cyclist won the Ride for the Roses—Darnell Barrow winning in 2013—and a parade of Guatemalans (3), Belizean Americans (2), a Mexican (1) and an Anguillan (1) have since claimed the coveted prize. (The race was postponed for 2 years during the Covid-19 pandemic).
Quiroz broke away from the leading trio 4 miles outside of Belize City and at no point after that did he lose the leading position. Jonathan Brown, Oscar Quiroz, Corey Williams, and his brother two-time champion Justin Williams along with Ian Macdonald had seized the lead just after Mile 39 on the way to San Ignacio. A few miles later, Justin for still unexplained reasons pulled up, while Macdonald began experiencing mechanical problems shortly after the men were returning from San Ignacio.
This year’s race may have been the most lucrative in its long history, with over $15,000 cash divided among the first 20 finishers and as much as $20,000 in cash and other prizes from almost 100 station prizes along the 142.5 miles route.
The top three finishers in the U23, Masters 35+, Masters 4/5, Elite Category 3, and 18-year-olds also divided up $3,000 in cash prizes.
Quiroz told his now expanded fan base in a Facebook post: “Emotions drew from my eyes and words will never explain what I am feeling. It is quite an unreal experience when your dreams become the reality you seek. This passion will never die and as I embrace this HUGE win I’ll continue to remain humble and most important continue to work hard. Not for ONLY me but for my family, my country and all the youths that I give hope to. Some day you can be better than me and do as much as I did but one thing to remember is to work hard and never give up!”
Quiroz, 28, has been one of Belize’s best and most successful cyclists over the last decade or so, having won the National Junior Road Championship of Belize twice, the Belmopan Classic (Junior) twice, the Krem New Year’s Day Classic (Junior), and the 2012 Belize Junior Cross Country, and he was also a silver medallist at the Junior Caribbean Road Championship ITT.
He has also won the 2017 Belmopan Classic and the 2018 Digicel Belize General Classic, and placed 41st at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
He repeated as the Digicel Tour of Belize General Classification winner in 2019 and won the 2019 National ITT Champion of Belize before winning a silver medal at the 2019 Caribbean Elite Road Championships Road Race.
He became the only cyclist to win the Krem New Year’s Day Cycling Classic as a Junior and as a Senior when he won in 2020, and was also the National ITT Champion of Belize in 2021.
He competed in the 2021 Chicago Intelligensia Cup, finishing 9th in the first stage and 2nd in the Omnium, before placing third and winning a bronze medal in the 2021 Caribbean Elite Road Championship ITT & Road Race.
Oscar Quiroz left Belize on Tuesday for California, where he is competing in the Redlands Tour, a multistage race.