Regional Cycling Championship Hits Belize Highways

Belize was buzzing with excitement this weekend as the Caribbean Elite Road Cycling Championship hit our highways. For the first time, we hosted this prestigious event under the watchful eye of the Caribbean Cycling Union. Riders from across the region came to battle it out, and all eyes were on Belize’s own Cory Williams, the defending champ after his gold win in Guyana last year. With home turf advantage, could he keep the crown? News Five’s Paul Lopez was there and brings us the action.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

One of the biggest races on the Caribbean calendar rolled into Belize this weekend and for the first time ever, we were the hosts. The Caribbean Elite Cycling Championship kicked off on Saturday with the individual time trial, bringing together top male and female riders from over a dozen countries. They battled for glory in the under-23 and elite categories. So, how did it all unfold? Let’s take a look.

 

In the women’s category, each cyclist rode off from the starting line individually to complete the twelve-mile course. The rider with the fastest finish time would be declared the winner of the time trial. Well after twenty-eight minutes and thirty-nine seconds, Trinidad and Tobago’s Teniel Campbell rode across the finish line, clocking in the best time among the women. Campbell stood on the podium next to silver medalist, Jamaican Liori Shape and bronze medalist, Gabriella Arnold of Bermuda. For the women under twenty-three-time trial, Cuba’s Lianni Mesa Silviera won gold with a finishing time of thirty-two minutes and fifteen seconds, followed far behind by Bahamas’ Kami Roach. She won the silver medal with forty-two minutes and forty-five seconds. Roach’s teammate, Sieanna Mackey won the bronze medal.

 

The male individual time trial commenced immediately after; twenty miles of open road for each cyclist to compete against time.  Unfortunately, no Belizean was able to make it into the top three in the elite category. The gold medal went to Bermuda’s Nicholas Narraway, with a time of thirty-nine minutes and twenty-five seconds. His teammate, Conor White, secured the silver medal, completing the course in forty minutes and twelve seconds. Puerto Rico’s Christopher Fontan won the bronze medal.

But celebrations erupted among the Belizean fans with the announcement that Derrick Chavarria clocked the fastest time in the men’s under-twenty-three-time trial. He finished the course in forty-two minutes and twenty-seven seconds. Chavarria completed the event seven minutes ahead of the second-place finisher, Guyana’s Aaron Newton, while Barron Musgrove came in an entire thirteen minutes after Chavarria to round off the top three in that category. And when the dust settled after Saturday’s showdown, the riders were back out on the nation’s highways for the highly anticipated road race, seventy miles of grueling racing for the women and ninety-nine miles for the men.

 

The starting whistle for a field of seventeen female riders sounded off at eight a.m. Tasked with completing two laps around the John Smith- Burrell Boom Road Circuit, here is a bit of how this one played out. On the second lap, along Burrell Boom Road, three riders were out front in the lead group. Trinidad’s Teniel Campbell, Bermuda’s Gabriella Arnold and Cuba’s Evelyn Matos. On Haulover Bridge, the lead group was down to two, Trinidad and Bermuda. Campbell broke away from Arnold and came down the finishing stretch all alone, to secure her second gold medal in the championship games.

 

Teniel Campbell, Women Elite Caribbean Cycling Champion

“I have to big up my friend here, Tinto, he has been through thick and thin. Also my entire country, my team mates, my brother at home. But also, this bubble head right here, I mean always on my side in every competition. Where you see me you see Kevin. And, he knows me well, so he also knew that bridge was my last opportunity. Everybody watching I hope you guys are happy. Everybody probably wanted a bit more excitement, but that is all for today.”

 

A couple hours after the women’s race was completed, the men’s elite road race got under way. Belize’s Cory Williams was positioned front and center as the defending champion, flanged by a field of forty-five elite riders from Belize and across the region. The men followed the same route as the women, but they were tasked with completing three laps. This is the end of the last lap, after almost four hours of racing in the sweltering afternoon heat, three riders in the lead group, Belize’ Oscar Quiroz, Dominican Republic’s Alexander Germoso and Guadeloupe’s Benjamin Leny.

 

Fans were out in numbers. Here is how it played out at the finish line. The three riders coming down the finishing stretch. It is an all-out sprint to the finish, and Germoso was able to edge out the other two riders to secure the gold medal. Quiroz crossed in second place, while Leny finished third. The results show that all three riders clocked a time of three hours, forty-nine minutes and fifty-eight seconds.

 

Rudy Germoso, Men’s Elite Caribbean Cycling Champion
“Feeling really good. From very early on and for days I had been positive and with good vibes, and thank God it was possible to achieve.”

 

Reporter

“What was the toughest challenge for you being on the Belizean roads?”

 

Rudy Germoso

“Well, by the last few kilometers, my legs were definitely feeling heavy, but since I had already trained and prepared for this race, it was more or less comfortable for me, yes.”

 

Oscar Quiroz, Silver Medalist, Men’s Elite Caribbean Championship

“Definitely I tried my best, I know I could have won and it hurt me very much, but the fans and everyone, thank you guys. My teammates, hell of a strong team. We couldn’t do it without them. I am just a mere representation. Unfortunately I couldn’t get the win and I feel like I fail them in a way. But I did the best I could mien.”

 

Derrick Chavarria finished fourth overall, one minute behind the top three riders. He secured his second gold medal in the under-twenty-three category with that finish.

 

Derrick Chavarria, Men’s U23 Caribbean Cycling Champion

“For sure when Cory, Justin, Jalen and Carlton was not around, it was myself, Jyven and Oscar. I know for myself when I countered, because Kayden was aggressing, he was frustrated that everyone was following his wheel. The guys from DR, the Cubans were keeping an eye on me since we were in the U-23 category. We had our own little race going on.”

Cuba’s Jose Dominquez won the silver medal in the under-twenty-three category, while Trinidad and Tobago’s Jadian Neaves won bronze. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.