by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. July 18, 2024
Former elite Belizean cyclist, Mateo Cruz passed away on Monday evening, July 15, after his battle with kidney failure, which he had publicly announced earlier this month.
A fierce competitor, Cruz started his cycling career in the early 90s riding for Santino’s Cycling Club, which helped him develop into a known figure in the early 2000s in Belize’s cycling circuits.
Cruz rode to victory in many local races and had a formidable record in some major races and classics. Among his notable finishes were: 2004 – 2nd in the Krem New Year’s Classic, 1st in the Labor Day race, and 3rd in the Holy Saturday Cross Country; 2005 – 4th in the Krem Classic and 6th in the Holy Saturday Cross Country; 2007 – 1st in the Masters Cross Country; 2008 – 9th in the Holy Saturday Cross Country when the still standing record was set by his USA teammate Ryan Baumann. (Information courtesy W. Ysaguirre)
After putting away the bike and cleats in competitive riding, Cruz continued to stay in shape as he worked as a fitness instructor. Unfortunately, tragedy struck as he was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver in June, and his family publicly pleaded for blood for treatment.
Reports suggest that he had been receiving treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where staff ultimately gave up on him. He was then transferred to Belize Healthcare Partners where he continued receiving dialysis treatment.
Local fundraisers and a GoFundMe account were created to assist with further medical expenses to achieve 35,000 USD. But Cruz lost his battle earlier this week.
Mateo Cruz was a beloved person and received an outpouring of love from friends and family along with the cycling community via social media, including Andrew Ordonez, a prominent cycling figure, who shared, “You have left us with wonderful memories as both a cyclist and a supporter of the sport. Your presence will be greatly missed.” The Cycling Federation of Belize also shared sympathy toward Cruz’s death on its Facebook page: “We would like to express our deepest and sincere condolences to the family, his cycling family, friends and fans. May he ride in peace.”
He was 51.