_{Top-5 A-Category (l to r): 4th Miguel Cendales; 2nd Brandon Cattouse; 1st Greg “Bullet” Lovell; 3rd Kent “Bob” Gabourel; 5th Jose Choto}

by William Ysaguirre (Freelance Writer)

BELIZE CITY, Mon. May 19, 2025

Greg “Bullet” Lovell of the Lovell Cycling Team won the 9th annual Chief’s Birthday Masters Race, organized by the Weekend Warriors Cycling Club and Cycling Federation of Belize on the Philip Goldson Highway and Burrell Boom bypass road to Hattieville on Sunday morning, May 18. The race started from the Pallotti bus stop in Belize City, and finished at San Cas Plaza across the street, with the finish line by the bus stop after passing Courts on the way into the city.

Lovell was part of a lead trio including Kent Gabourel and Brandon Cattouse, which broke away from the main peloton after they passed the halfway point at the Hattieville roundabout with the George Price Highway, and they soon opened a 2-minute gap on the main group. Lovell tried to make a break away from the other two as they rolled through Ladyville, but they reeled him in by the airport junction. Gabourel took over the pace, with Lovell sprinting ahead to win 2 station prizes, and Miguel Cendales made a bid to bridge the gap when they were a mile from the finish. With Cendales breathing down their necks, Gabourel began his sprint 500 yards from the finish, but was soon overtaken by Cattouse and Lovell, who edged past Cattouse at the tape.

Below are the top finishers and station prize winners in the different Weekend Warrior categories:

A-Category – 48 miles: 1st Place – Greg Lovell (Team Lovell, 2:10:56, $1,500 prize); 2nd – Brandon Cattouse (Running Rebels, 2:10:56, $1,000 prize); 3rd – Kent “Bob” Gabourel (Team SPD, 2:10:57, $500.00 prize); 4th – Miguel Cendales (Running Rebels, $300 prize); 5th – Jose Choto (Troyers Treats, $200 prize); 6th – Henry Moriera (Anthony Mahler Cycling Team); 7th – Gabriel Cardozo (Team Santino’s); 8th – Roger Troyer (Troyers Treats); 9th – Sherman “Pest” Thomas (Bz Boyz); 10th Kenroy “Smokes” Gladden (Team SPD); and 11th – Sam Vallecillo (Team Santino’s).

_{Top-5 B-Category (l to r): 4th Julio Tzul; 2nd Ignacio Vega; 1st David Interiano; 3rd Dwayne Wade; 5th David Hyde}

B-Category:  1st Place – David Interiano (Team Santino’s, 2:19:00, $1,000 prize); 2nd – Ignacio Vega (Team 3-Force, $600 prize); 3rd – Dwayne Wade (Team Bz-Boyz, $400 prize); 4th – Julio Tzul (Team Santino’s, $300 prize); and 5th – David Hyde (Team Fun & Fitness, $200 prize).

_{Top-5 C-Category (l to r): 4th Col George Lovell, Sr.; 2nd Santino “Chief” Castillo; 1st Warren Coye; 3rd Kenneth Butler; 5th Hubert Johnson}

C-Category:  1st Place – Warren Coye (Team Santino’s, 2:21:00, $500 prize); 2nd – Santino “Chief” Castillo ($400 prize); 3rd – Kenneth Butler ($300 prize); 4th – Col. George Lovell, Sr. (retired) (Team Lovell, $200 prize); and 5th – Hubert Johnson ($100 prize).

A-Category Station Prizes outbound ($100 each):  Cutty Bailey Street – Sam Vallecillo; PUMA Gas Station – Henry Moriera; M&M Engineering – Henry Moriera; Car Guys ($250.00) – Gregory Lovell; Haulover Bridge – Henry Moriera; Jane Usher residence – Gregory Lovell; Mile 12 – Henry Moriera; Los Lagos – Miguel Cendales; Data Pro junction – Gregory Lovell; Fresh Pond – Kenroy “Smokes” Gladden; Kolbe Foundation – Henry Moriera.

A-Category Station Prizes return ($100 each):  The Farm – Gregory Lovell; Fresh Pond – Kent Gabourel; Mile 12 – Kent Gabourel; Mile 11 – Gregory Lovell; Jane Usher residence – Gregory Lovell; Haulover Bridge (OICS) – Kent Gabourel; PUMA-Diamond Hotel – Kent Gabourel; Caribbean Tires – Gregory Lovell; BUCA Shell Station – Gregory Lovell.

B-Category Station Prizes outbound ($100 each):  PUMA Gas Station – (shared) Dwayne Wade/ David Interiano; Car Guys ($250.00) – Dwayne Wade; Haulover Bridge – Dwayne Wade; Mile 12 – Mark “Ras” Gentle; Bisset Gas Station – Ignacio Vega; The Farm – David Interiano

B-Category Station Prizes return ($100 each):  The Farm – Ignacio Vega; Data Pro junction – David Interiano; Mile 8.5 – Ignacio Vega; Haulover Bridge – David Interiano; Maheia’s United Concrete – Ignacio Vega.

C-Category Station Prizes outbound ($100 each):  M&M Engineering – Kenneth Butler; Jane Usher residence – Hubert Johnson; Los Lagos – Kenneth Butler; Fresh Pond – Kenneth Butler; Kolbe Foundation – Col. George Lovell, Sr.

C-Category Station Prizes return ($100 each):  Fresh Pond – Warren Coye; Mile 11 – Warren Coye; Jane Usher residence – Warren Coye; PUMA-Diamond Hotel – Warren Coye; BUCA Shell Station – Warren Coye.