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Posted By: Marty KREM New Year's Cycling Classic - 12/24/11 02:26 PM
The countdown is on towards the New Year, 2012, and what better way to begin than with the KREM New Year's Day Cycling Classic, set to run its 22nd consecutive year. Michael "Big Wire" Lewis was the first KREM Classic champion in 1991, with Ernest "Jawmeighan" Meighan finishing in 2nd place. The first female KREM Classic took place in 2001, and Karen Rosito was the winner, followed in 2nd place by Amelita Knowles.

The last time a Belizean male won the KREM Classic was Marlon Castillo in 2009. Guatemalan Carlos Hernandez took it in 2010, followed by Costa Rican Marco Salas in 2011. The two-time defending female champion is Belize's own Shalini Zabaneh, who won it in both 2010 and 2011. Daniel Choto won for the Juniors in 2010, and in 2011 the Junior champion was Mexican Johnny Quintal Valencia.

According to the KREM Classic Technical Guide, "The KREM New Year's Day Cycling Classic is organized by Krem Radio under the regulations of the International Cycling Union and the Belize Cycling Association. It is to be held on January 1, 2012. The Open Elite race will start at the Santa Elena Border at 9:00 a.m. The Women/Masters 4/5 and Junior will start in front of the Town Hall in Orange Walk Town at 9:30 and 9:35 a.m., respectively."

"A grand total of $8,675.00 will be awarded in prize money at the event. Prizes will be awarded within 90 days maximum from the official completion of the event."

Included in the Elite prize package are: 1st prize of $2,000.00 plus a trophy, plus 1 bull, plus a round trip ticket to the U.S.A.; 2nd prize, $1,500.00 plus a trophy; and 3rd prize, $1,000.00 plus a trophy. From 4th to 20th place also receive cash prizes.

The Juniors 1st prize is $500.00 plus a trophy; 2nd $300.00 plus a trophy; and 3rd $200.00 plus a trophy.

For the Women, 1st prize is the same as for the Juniors: 1st $500.00 plus a trophy, 2nd $300.00 plus a trophy, and 3rd $200.00 plus a trophy.

The Masters Cat 4&5 receive trophies for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place.

Of special interest to skeptical fans is the assurance that, "The NADO anti-doping regulations are entirely applicable to the event. The Anti-doping tests will take place at the National Sports Council Conference Room, St. Jude Street, Belize City. ***Blood testing will be administered."

Amandala
Posted By: Marty Re: KREM New Year's Cycling Classic - 01/03/12 01:45 PM

The main cycle peloton as it swoops through Orange Walk Town.

KREM 2012 New Year Cycle Race

The 22nd running of the KREM New Year's Day Cycle Race took place today with the results some Belize cycle fans have always wanted - Belizeans winning the race. Like the annual Cross Country Cycle Race that takes place at Easter time, the KREM Race is international and usually visitors win handily over locals, much to the dismay of some locals of course. This year the tables were tilted every so slightly but effectively. Although not going so far as the wishes of a fringe element of the Belize cycling community to ban visitors to ensure that a national wins, the cycling authorities came up with a clever strategy. Place limits on the composition of visiting teams. For example the Mexicans were instructed to send only riders from one state. The disgusted Mexicans had enough manners not to pull out but sent a token and underpowered team. The Guatemalans and Costa Ricans were nowhere their previous levels of participation. It was an uninspiring race dampened by rain but the Belizeans won.

First place went to Belizean Giovanni Choto from Western Spirit team, with Byron Pope from Benny's Megabytes pulling in for second place, and Peter Choto taking third place. Giovanni's official time is 3 hours 43 minutes and 41 seconds. Pope came in 29 seconds later. In the Masters (veterans) Race, Mexican Manuel Herrera from Team Depredadores who beat out 18 other contenders for the first place. Meanwhile Belizean Kaya Cattouse upset perennial Belizean female champion Shalini Zabaneh in surprising photo finish that was decided in favor of Ms. Cattouse. Both riders had an exact race time of 3 hours 10 minutes and 20 seconds (females ride the shorter distance from Orange Town to Belize City). Ms. Zabaneh has for long been the sole female Belize rider holding the fort with a competitive spirit in that department. She now has company.

The 87 mile race from the border with Mexico in the Corozal District got underway at 9 in the morning with 68 riders participating. First prize was $2,000. dollars, airfare to the U.S., and a bull valued at $500. This year for the first time a couple of the station prizes specifically excluded visiting riders. Station prizes ranged from small cash amounts as low as $25., to livestock such as a sheep, a massage and eye exam, jewelry, cans of paint, boat rides and gym classes.

Belize.com



Belizeans win Elite, Female and Junior in 2012 Krem New Year's Day Cycling Classic


It was an overcast and rainy New Year's Day, but it spelled cooling "showers of blessing" on the large peloton of cyclists, male and female, that joined in the tradition of the pedaling expedition from the northernmost districts to Belize City on the occasion of the 22nd Annual Krem New Year's Day "Sugar and Cream" Cycling Classic. And when it was over, a Belizean male had regained the prestigious Elite championship, in the person of Geovanni Choto of Western Spirit Cycling Team from the Cayo District; while the two-time defending female champion Shalini Zabaneh was dethroned by new cycling star Kaya Cattouse of C-Ray Cycling Team.

The Elites, Under 23's and Masters Cat 2&3 all left from the Corozal Free Zone near the Santa Elena border at 9:00 a.m., travelling 91.4 miles to the finish line on Central American Boulevard in Belize City. The Females, Juniors/Youth and Masters Cat 4&5 races all left from in front of the Town Hall in Orange Walk, beginning around 9:30 a.m. with staggered starts a few minutes apart, and journeyed 55 miles to the same finish line in Belize City.

Elites, Under 23's, Masters Cat 2&3

62 cyclists, including defending Elite champion Costa Rican Marco Salas-Arias and 3 other foreign riders, started the big race from Corozal Free Zone; and 34 finished. Salas was the sole foreigner on his Benny's Megabytes team; while 3 Americans, including former Cross Country Champion Chris Harkey, comprised the VeloShine Team. Byron Pope, who had lost his little brother to gun violence the day before the race, jumped into the lead early, taking the first two station prizes at San Roman and San Joaquin villages. Thereafter, station prizes were won by Geovanni Choto, Edward Reyes, Ron McKenzie, and Peter Choto, before Marlon Castillo swept 7 consecutive station prizes, beginning at Mile 35 and ending at the Maskall Junction near Mile 20. With Marlon apparently spent from the solo effort, American John Delong took over from the Salt Creek Junction to Maxboro Junction, before Peter Choto stepped up to take the prize at the Burrell Boom marker. Thereafter, the station prizes were shared between Byron Pope and Geovanni Choto, who grabbed the last 12 from Shell Service Station in Ladyville until he crossed the finish line alone in Belize City for the Krem Classic championship in a time of 3 hours 43 minutes and 10 seconds. Byron followed a half minute later. (The record of 3:29:55 set by Marlon Castillo in 2009 remains intact.) Geovanni's victory broke a two-year streak of foreign domination of the Krem Classic, much to the satisfaction of Belizean fans.

Top 10 Elite finishers in the 2012 Krem New Year's Classic were: 1st place Geovanni Choto (Western Spirit, 3:43:10, 24.57 m.p.h.); 2nd Byron Pope (Benny's Megabytes, 3:43:41); 3rd Peter Choto (Western Spirit, 3:43:43); 4th American John Delong (VeloShine Cycling Team, 3:43:44); 5th Edward Reyes (D&D Cycling Team, 3:43:45); 6th Marlon Castillo (Santino's, 3:43:49); 7th Leroy Casasola (Santino's, 3:44:56); 8th Gregory Lovell (Santino's, 3:45:01); 9th Allen Castillo (Benny's Megabytes, 3:45:01); 10th Belize based Panamanian Christian McNish (Benny's Megabytes, 3:45:10).

In the U23 category, 1st was Peter Choto (Western Spirit, 3:43:43), 2nd Edward Reyes (D&D Cycling, 3:43:45), and 3rd Geon Hanson (Capital City Cycling, 3:54:32).

For the Masters Cat 2&3, 1st was Orson Butler (M&M Engineering, 3:54:55), 2nd Michael Lewis (Unattached, 3:54:56), and 3rd Frederick Sutherland (Bel-Cal Cycling, 3:54:56).

Females

There were only 6 female cyclists, all Belizean, at the start of the race in Orange Walk Town, and all 6 completed the journey to Belize City, with Kaya Cattouse (C-Ray) beating defending champion Shalini by a wheel in the sprint to the finish line, to claim her first ever Krem New Year's Classic championship.

A few days earlier, Kaya had campaigned on Krem's WUB for a return to an all-female race, as opposed to riding along with the Masters Cat 4&5 as in recent races. The association and race organizers agreed to the change, and suddenly there was interest in the female race, where it was back to the "fly and crawl" tactics on the road, until a group of 4 made the final dash on the home stretch from the Belcan Bridge to the finish line near Santos Diaz & Sons. Though still the dominant female rider on the long journey, Shalini was unable to "shake off" her opponents on the road, and in the final sprint, Kaya still had enough in her "tank" to surge ahead near the finish line to take the championship in a time of 3 hours 11 minutes and 20 seconds for an average of 17.24 m.p.h. After the race, Kaya credited her teammate Kirah Eiley with giving her much needed support during the race. (The female record is 2:49:23, set by Shalini Zabaneh in 2008.)

The finishing roster for the 2012 Female Krem Classic includes: 1st place Kaya Cattouse (C-Ray Cycling Team, 3:11:20), 2nd Shalini Zabaneh (Sagitun Cycling Team, 3:11:20), 3rd Patricia Chavarria (AAA Loans Cycling, 3:11:21), 4th Gabrelle Lovell (Unattached, 3:11:21), 5th Kirah Eiley (C-Ray Cycling, 3:11:27), and 6th Maricela Garcia (Sagitun Cycling, 3:24:43).

Juniors & Youths

21 of the 22 starters completed the 55-mile race for Juniors (under 18 years) & Youths (under 16 years). Among the finishers were a Honduran and a Mexican rider, both riding on the Typhoon Cycling Team, but the championship remained in Belizean hands, in the person of Oscar Qurious, Jr. of the Cayo Uprising Team, who rode in alone in 2 hours 41 minutes 10 seconds for an average of 20.47 m.p.h., a minute ahead of second place Deezan Spence. (The Juniors record of 2:18:55 was set by Daniel Choto in 2010.). The top 5 Junior finishers were: 1st place Oscar Qurious, Jr. (Cayo Uprising, 2:41:10), 2nd Deezan Spence (D&D Cycling, 2:42:13), 3rd Zahir Figueroa (Cayo Uprising, 2:43:11), 4th Giovanni Lovell (Unattached, 2:43:12), and 5th Riis Cattouse (C-Ray Cycling, 2:43:34).

In the Youths category, 1st was Zahir Figueroa (Cayo Uprising, 2:43:11), 2nd Mexican Yhaszus Martin (Typhoon, 2:43:45), and 3rd Delawn Abraham (Benny's Megabytes, 2:43:45).

Masters Cat 4&5

Only 7 riders comprised the Masters Cat 4&5 race, and they included the 5-man Mexican team Depredadores along with only 2 Belizeans of the M&M Engineering Masters Team. And the Mexicans took 1st and 2nd place in this 55-mile race. 1st was Manuel Herrera-Busto (Depredadores, 2:37:15), 2nd Carlos Castelan De La Torre (Depredadores, 2:38:20), and 3rd Robert Liam Stewart (M&M Engineering, 2:39:16).

Amandala

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