Photo: Luis Lopez, winner of 94th Holy Saturday Cross Country
by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Tues. Apr. 2, 2024
Honduran Luis Lopez dethrones last year’s champion as he became the 94th Holy Saturday Cross Country Race champ, taking home the garland in a record time of 5:39:25, 47 seconds ahead of the previous time set in 2008 by American cyclist Ryan Bauman.
For the 94th annual race, 117 professional and amateur cyclists from various countries around the globe came to participate in the oldest race in the hemisphere, from Belize City to San Ignacio, Cayo District, and back again, finishing at the starting point at Digi Park for an approximate 140-mile journey.
At the beginning of the race, Lopez, who rode solo for LL Team in the Elite category, established a gap between himself and the main peloton. He was caught by the group on the way to San Ignacio-Santa Elena, and then he became a part of a 7-man break-away group at the head of the race going back to Belize City.
Nearing the finish line, Lopez made a huge break near Marion Jones Sports Complex, opening a 26-second gap between himself and Guatemalan rider Rony Alex Julajuj, who took second place.
Lopez spoke to Amandala after the win. Speaking in Spanish which was translated into English, he said, “I feel happy and tired. I know I was coming in with full force, but I also knew that there were other strong cyclists … I didn’t expect to win first place.” He further said, “I came here to prepare for the important future events in my country, but I fought until the end and never gave up, and [in] the end I won.”
Finishing third with a time of 5:39:49 was American Abner Maxell, a U23 rider who rode for Skyline Cadence Cycling.
“The strategy was to send as many guys to the front as we could, just because we knew if you’re ahead of the attacks it’s easier to be up the front, and I feel like we’ve succeeded in that by sending a lot of guys early. It’s a bigger race this year, a bigger bunch, I felt like,” he said.
Belizean Carlton Robinson rode for Alliance United Cycling Team and finished fourth in a time of 5:39:57, 32 seconds behind Lopez. “I feel happy with my results. I knew I was ready. I did a lot of training and I just got to thank my teammates and everybody who supported me along the way,” Robinson said.
Behind Robinson was American Cyrus Pearo riding for Primal – Audi Denver who finished fifth at 5:40:00. Other riders who finished in the Top 10 were Belizean Joslyn Chavarria, Jr., riding for Santino’s Belize Cycling Team, who placed sixth. Canadian Jean-Michel Lachance of Team Quebexico was seventh. Miami Blazers’ American Cory Lockwood was eighth, and Skyline Cadence Cycling’s American John Delong was ninth. Clayton Travis, Delong’s teammate, placed tenth along with Belizean-American Cory Williams who was set at eleventh.
Notable riders such as last year’s champ, Oscar Quiroz fell behind in the twelfth position; Derrick Chavarria was thirteenth; Giovanni Lovell placed fourteenth; and Dylan Levy was at fifteenth.