As far as cycling in Belize goes, the Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic is king and that is not just by virtue of its illustrious 76 year history. Of all the other races none can match the glory, grit, and glamour of the race for the garland.
But 76 years ago the cross-country did start somewhere like the young upstart FM 2000 Father's Day Cycling Classic. On Sunday morning 50 to 60 riders will set out on the second running of the 85-mile race from Benque to Belize City. For its second year the race is powered by support from Powerade in the form of a $5,000 check. FM 2000's General Manager Gerald Garbutt accepted the check this morning and says it will come in handy.
Gerald Garbutt, FM 2000
"It's a big help for the FM 2000 crew. For the first ten prizes we have a total of something like $7,000 or so it's a big plus for us."
Nick Pollard Jr., Bowen and Bowen Limited (Agent for PowerAde)
"We were approached by the manager of FM 2000 with a proposal to have Powerade being involved with the father's day cycling classic. So we looked at it and we thought it was a wonderful idea for Powerade, which is a icetonic drink and an excellent product for the overall athlete to be involved in the father's day cycling classic. That's how we got here today."
Sunday's race leaves from Benque at 8 am heading to Belmopan around the ring road and culminating at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex. First prize is $2,500 plus a DVD player. The defending champ is Guatemalan Miguel Perez.