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Marlon “laps” the field in Sunday’s Belize City Criterium

SportsMarlon “laps” the field in Sunday’s Belize City Criterium
At first there was great anticipation in cycling circles for the return to the Santino’s camp of cycling star Marlon Castillo, who recently ended his two-year sojourn with the Zamir team of Corozal. Yesterday’s   Belize City Council & Leslie’s Imports 2nd Annual September City Criterium was to be the first big race since the home-coming of the man who, before he left, was considered the best of the Santino’s cycling bunch. Despite strong sponsorship and support up north, Marlon had not enjoyed the success anticipated, in terms of first place finishes with the Zamir team. Now he was back to his original camp, and his old-time manager, Santino, who, before Marlon left, had become a father figure to him, was understandably overjoyed with his return.       
  
But then, tragedy struck last Thursday night, when Marlon’s father was killed as he arrived home in Belama, and speculation was strong that Marlon might not participate in Sunday’s Criterium.
  
However, that speculation was short-lived as, to the detriment of the 32 other competitors who faced the fire of his inspired performance, Marlon chose to ride. And ride he did!
  
Earlier in the afternoon, female cycling superstar, and recent Female Lionman Triathlon champion, Shalini Zabaneh (Sagitun) outsprinted Patricia Chavarria (Benny’s Megabytes) to take first place in the Female Criterium, which travelled 15 laps around the Albert Street – Regent Street circuit for a total of 15 miles. They both clocked 00:40:43 (40 minutes and 43 seconds), for an average of 22.1 miles per hour; with 3rd place Kirah Eiley (Smooth Sailing) arriving 6 seconds later. 4th was Kaya Cattouse (C-Ray) and 5th Marinette Flowers (unattached).
  
In the Juniors/Youth race, which covered 20 laps (20 miles), Youth rider Oscar Quiroz (Cayo Uprising) separated himself from the bunch and won in 00:45:55, a full 52 seconds ahead of second place finisher Riis Cattouse (C-Ray), who clocked 00:46:47. A close 3rd was Steven Castenada (Cayo Uprising), 4th Zahir Figueroa (Cayo Uprising), and 5th Joslyn Chavarria, Jr. (Clear the Land).
  
In the Youth classification, Oscar Quiroz also took the top prize, with 2nd place going to Zahir Figueroa, and 3rd Joslyn Chavarria, Jr.
  
When the big Open 35-lap (35 miles) race rolled around, the 33 starters received race instructions from Race Commissioner Melvin Torres at the starting line on Regent Street near the corner with King Street. In a special pre-race interlude, Santino asked members of the cycling family and race participants to join in expressing their condolences to Marlon, who had taken his position in the starting line-up, by taking a first lap of honor, allowing Marlon to cross the finish line first; the race proper, 35 laps, would then begin.             
  
Some fans commented that, charged with emotion as he was on the loss of his dad, Marlon would be hard to beat in that race. And they were right.
  
As they crossed the line to complete the pre-race symbolic lap with Marlon in front, all hell broke loose, as cyclists rose off their seats and unleased a furious pace to try and take the lead. Marlon was thus in the middle of the bunch by the time they passed Town Clock and made the first turn into Albert Street on their way for the first official lap. But by the time the official vehicle siren announced the arrival of the first lap leaders, it was a breakaway group including Marlon, Darnell Barrow, Brandon Cattouse and David Henderson. By lap 5, Marlon had opened an 8-second lead over the rest. Lap 6 saw his lead increase to about 25 seconds. Alone and powering around the course like a hungry lion, Marlon pushed the lead to 38 seconds by end of lap 7; 51 seconds at end of lap 8; 57 seconds at lap 9; and eclipsed the 1-minute lead at the close of lap 10, which he did in 2 minutes 3 seconds, to push the gap to 61 seconds. By lap 15, the lead had increased to 1 minute 9 seconds; at lap 20 it reached 1 minute 19 seconds; and it kept increasing, reaching 2 minutes and 4 seconds at the end of lap 30. Cycling fans cheered when, to begin the last lap, Marlon had overtaken the chase bunch, effectively “lapping” the entire field of Elites, U23’s and Masters cyclists.
  
The official finishing time for 1st place Marlon “Diesel” Castillo (Santino’s) was 01:18:00 (1 hour 18 minutes), for an average of 26.92 miles per hour.   2 minutes and 15 seconds later, the rest of the cyclists sprinted in to battle for 2nd and 3rd place. Coming in 2nd at 01:20:15 was U23 cyclist Tariq Cano (Indeco); 3rd Brandon Cattouse (C-Ray); 4th Christian McNish (Benny’s Megabytes), who was the 1st Masters; and 5th Joeavin “Faggie” Leslie (Santino’s).          
  
In the U23 category, Tariq Cano (Indeco) took 1st place; 2nd was Geon Hanson (Indeco) and 3rd Erwin Middleton (Indeco).
  
For the Masters, 1st was Christian McNish (Benny’s Megabytes), 2nd Dwight Lopez (Bel-Cal), and 3rd Orson Butler (M&M Engineering).       
  
The next major event on the cycling calendar is the Bypass Criterium in Orange Walk Town on October 12.   

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