The first rumple occurred at the halfway turning point. Adrian Faux ? Santino?s made a solo attempt and gained as much as a 1-minute lead. He led for 6 miles before he was caught re-entering the Western Highway just after Mile 15. As the peloton bridged the gap, upon merging, James ?Cocky? Welch ? Santino?s charged out, also in solo fashion, winning the final station prize at Mile 10. He was caught just after. Cocky is also credited with winning the other three station prizes mentioned above.

Approaching the Mile 6 Bridge, Cocky was not done yet. He initiated yet another attack that managed to move a 5-man breakaway to the lead: Andrew Ordonez ? Guinness Seahawks, Adrian Faux ? Santino?s, John Burns and Kid Graniel ? both BTL Fusion teammates. Approximately two miles into the escape misfortune struck Cocky – he got punctured and was out of the hunt.

The now 4-man break managed to stake out the peloton with as little as a fifteen second lead. In the final sprint, it was clearly Ordonez in the early goings, but Faux managed to inch his way up to a neck and neck battle. The drama was electric. The race judge affirmed it a dead heat. Due to the dead heat, Burns was referred to second place and Graniel to third. The ensuing field sprint was captured by Marlon Smith for 4thplace and Fitzgerald ?Palas? Joseph took 5thplace.

A report was received that the Chief was involved in a spill last Thursday morning during the speed ride. He mentioned that he was not at 100% but still attempted the event to keep sharp.

Dead heats are uncommon occurrences and to combat these possibilities in cycling ? the UCI Regulations regulation dictates that: 2.3.038 ?The photo-finish shall be mandatory.? The regulations went on to point out in 2.3.043 ?If after all technical means available have been exhausted, riders draw for the allocation title, they shall immediately run a 1000 meters sprint to decide.? There is no such rule in track events only to say in 3.2.027 ?In case of dead heat, riders concerned will draw and will be classified by drawing lots.? It was, however, relaxed in Olympic Events where medals were issued to both parties in the dead heat.

Palas escaped by providence and by the official confusion/ignorance of the rule. He later admitted that being on a team handicaps him to a certain extent. He went on to say: ?I must gain my team?s confidence that this close to the end of the season my finishing in the top 5 spots is vital. I don?t want to be mounting attacks and bridging any gap without my teammates? knowledge. It is important that I remain in contact with the top five positions and I now must make this pact with my team.?

Dougie Lamb presents: ?Open Saturday Race ? 27thAugust, 2005?

At 2:24 p.m. twenty-four riders started a forty-two mile race. The race course is one and the same as the ?Over 38 Non-Elite? course as stated above. The participants hail from six teams as follows: 4 ? BTL Fusion (Vernon Terry traveled Belmopan City), 3 ? Megabytes, 2 ? M&M Engineering, 7 ? Santino?s (including four of the Choto brothers ? Jose, Rafael, Giovanni and Peter ? traveled from San Ignacio), 1 ? Hotpoint, 1 ? Guinness Seahawks and 6 unattached riders. Today?s race was a little more tightly matched.

Today?s runaway occurred at Kolbe Correctional going, that is, eighteen miles into the race. The escapees were Mateo Cruz and Giovanni Choto ? Santino?s, and Vernon Terry ? BTL Fusion. The 3-man break rode the entire distance gaining a 1-minute and 1-second lead when the race was over.

Mateo got top honors over Vernon and Giovanni for first, second and third places, respectively.

Comments:

While I am aware that my comments may draw some hostility (flak) from time to time, the narrow-mindedness of a few riders in the peloton is appalling; I wish to offer a word of advice.

? Why else is sport inspirational, if not in the magnified example it sets for life, a life in or out of the limelight? Achievement and the manner of achievement in any pursuit of goals beyond easy reach are governed by similar tolls. Cycling as Odyssey? Certainly!! Odysseus, the lone wanderer, had to overcome vicissitudes and disaster. And that side of the sport, the reclusive nature of being Number One, your entire existence embattled in continuous rivalry, is little appreciated by the public who thrill to the exploits. Anquetil, the first five time winner of the Tour De France, put his view of it bluntly: ?Follow a career in sport and it must be like passing through a jungle: you beat your own path, you fight on your own.? For this reason, I have an idea there are two sorts of racing cyclists: those you?d want to spend time with and those you?re happy to get no closer to than radio allows.