The six man lead group which entered Belmopan at 10:03 am maintained their lead and increased it to more than four minutes. After passing through Hattieville the Tactical strategies began. Santino's Team had four riders in this group against Smiling's two riders. The Santino's Team began launching precision attacks and counter attacks in their relentless efforts to shake off Smiling's imported domestique Christopher Harkey (a bad ass US rider reputed to be riding professionally in the USA) and Smiling's designated winner Belizean Quinton Hamilton. Each time a Santino's pair ( either Imported domestique Mexican Enrique Uribe and Santino's designated winner Belizean Ariel Rosado or imported domestique Guatemalan Miguel Perez and Santino's alternate designated winner Belizean Mateo Cruz) attacked Smiling's imported domestique Christopher Harkey provided excellent protection for Smiling's designated winner Quinton Hamilton and kept him in the race. At mile 10 the Smiling camp realized that their designated winner Belizean Quinton Hamilton would not be able to withstand the licking being administered by the Santino's riders and decided to put team before country. At mile 8 Smiling unleashed Christopher Harkey with instructions to forget Quinton Hamilton who was struggling by this time and to go for the team win. Still hoping for a Belizean to win Santino's camp sent Enrique Uribe to tail Harkey with strict instructions not to pace but only to remain on Harkey's wheel in the event that the Belizeans could not catch him. Displaying his professional caliber Harkey opened up a two minute lead while Uribe tailed him. They entered the track together and it was obvious that this would be a battle between two top class foreigners. With a hundred yards to go Uribe riding for Team Santino initiated the sprint and easily beat Christopher Harkey riding for Team Smiling. Quinton Hamilton took third place, Mateo Cruz fourth, Ariel Rosado fifth, Douglas Lamb sixth, Jeffrey Zelaya seventh, Roger Troyer eighth, Ernest Jawmeighan Meighan ninth and a foreigner rounded the top ten.
By all accounts this was one of the better races seen in Belize and provides a fitting anti climax for the Cross Country 2003 which will be held on Holy Saturday April 19th. 2003. Ariel Rosado will celebrate his 20th. birthday on that date and is dreaming of a double celebration.

From Wendy Auxillou...

The Auxillou Suites canoe team came in first in the female division
today in the Ruta Maya Canoe Race. We went all out as a cheering
committee for the final leg. We chartered a boat, put up a gigantic
sign, and greeted the paddlers and the canoe at Haulover Bridge. Once
our team had passed us, we moseyed around down to the Belcan Bridge for
the final leg.

Glad to say, Auxillou Suites were 1st in the female division, even
beating out 3 BATSUB (British Army) men's teams.

Go Auxillou Suites!



Here are a few pics of our greeting boat taken at Haulover Creek this morning. The last picture has a picture of our female canoe going around the curve at Haulover.