No record was broken on Saturday but the collective heart of cycling fans, and all Belizeans really, was broken around mid-day on Holy Saturday when an American won the 77th Cross Country Cycling Classic. William Elliston, riding for the virtually unknown team Comfort Air, crossed the line in a time of 5 hours 58 minutes and 58 seconds. 7NEWS covered the 144-mile race on the ground and in the air courtesy Heli-Bel Helicopters and Keith Swift has the recap.
Keith Swift Reporting
7NEWS cameras tracked the 77th Cross Country Cycling Classic from in the air and on the ground. This aerial video taken from Helibel's Robinson
Clipper Helicopter by cameraman Fortunato Noble shows the scene at dawn on Saturday when 93 riders set out on the race for glory and the garland. They were flanked
by supporters who lined the side of the highway - a sizeable crowded gathered at the corner op Faber's Road and the Western Highway. And as they left city limits and headed out on the 144 mile journey, the cyclists took over the highway.
Nearly 6 hours later back at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex a large crowd filled the bleachers awaiting the finish. Notable among them was Prime Minister Said Musa.
We go back into the air where you can see the hundreds who lined the perimeter of the Marion Jones. Three riders, all foreign, led the pack into the stadium followed by a chase group of Belizeans. The three lead cyclists completed a full lap before Belizean Michael Lewis closed in. American Anthony Taylor, also riding for Comfort Air, was also able to catch up. Here is how it ended from the air.
And here are those same last moments from the ground as American William Elliston riding for team Comfort Air made a heroic dash across the finish line.
William Elliston, Cross Country Winner
"I was just focused on following Chris Harkey. I kind of know Chris from the States but I wasn't sure if he was a fast sprinter and we came around this last bend into the head wind and he was just kind of sitting there so we just decided to punch it and I was able to hold him off."
This was Elliston's first Cross Country and his first win.
William Elliston,
"It feels great. I kind of felt a lot of pressure all week because I was training a lot. I felt the pressure but I'm pretty excited and pretty happy."
Keith Swift,
Do you realize that when you crossed that line first you broke a lot of hearts?
William Elliston,
[Laughs] "Yeah you know that's the way it goes I guess."
Elliston edged out former Cross Country Champ and the only Belizean finisher in the top 5 Michael Lewis. For Lewis though his second place finish was no consolation. Moments after his victory the bitter 37 year old minced no words for two of his fellow riders.
Michael Lewis, 2nd Place
"I am not pleased with it because the man nearly threw me down on the sprint. He saw me coming and he hauled off on the right and nearly threw me
down. Jawmaine is ungrateful because Jawmaine saw me and he could have continued to catch those men, but because he sighted me coming he eased up because he did not want me under him. But I still continued because I didn't have time to waste with him. But I tell you the white boy dirked me on the sprint. When he sight me coming on the right, he shift out and I had to break my rhythm so I didn't tumble down. If you sight a man coming you shouldn't haul out. But on the sprint the white man really dirk me and by rights you shouldn't do that because when I was coming around on the outside the man shifted and you should never shift. The laws you can't pass on the left but you can pass on the right and the man really dirk me in the bush because when he sighted me coming he really eased up."
Lewis is talking about these last moments of the race, which we captured from the air. Elliston and his teammate and third place finisher Cuban American Enias Freyre both dispute Lewis' contention. In fact they say they don't know what Lewis is talking about.
Jules Vasquez,
He is claiming that one of you guys cut into him and broke the rhythm on his sprint?
William Elliston,
"I don't know anything about that."
Enias Freyre, 3rd Place
"I didn't cut him off because I was on the far right and he sprinted on the left so I wasn't even near him; I was miles away from him. I was on the right of Harkey and so I have no idea what he is talking about. But that is a bike race and that's a sprint so he was lucky to have bridged up to even be close because we were away on the track for almost two whole laps so I have idea what he is talking about. I trust that nothing illegal happened with my teammates. My teammates are very clean and honest riders and so I know that he did the best he could."
The man to beat was defending champ Chris Harkey who entered the Marion Jones leading the pack. He eventually dropped to 4th place but says he is content with his finish.
Chris Harkey, 4th Place
"I'd have love to see Michael Lewis win the race. I know a Belizean was on the track with me. I know passionately it is for everyone out here and for
a Belizean to win and I just sacrificed my chances and said I'll lead out this sprint. Mike's a great sprinter and I said maybe he could do it. Unfortunaately those two guys I raced with in the States, they are good races and they had the numbers, it was two against me and its unfortunate."
Keith Swift,
You gave up a potential victory so a Belizean could win?
Chris Harkey,
"Absolutely. It just happened that way at that the end and I looked back and if Mike had made it on to the break on the first lap of the track, I think there is no doubt he would have out-sprinted those guys. I think he worked too hard getting across to us and he came up short for the Guinness guys. Hey if I'm going to lose, I'd rather lose to a Belizean any day but I hate for him because it was so close but hey he's the first Belizean."
While it was a national disappointment - there were small victories like that of Leslie Sanchez. This is only his second year riding with the big boys and out of the 93 riders, the young rider placed 8th.
Leslie Sanchez, 8th Place
"It feels very exciting because I am one of the young riders."
A personal victory for Sanchez but a national loss for Belize, the 4th consecutive Belizean loss.
Orlando Chavarria,
"Belizeans were really looking at each other, they were waiting on each other, and they were laid back. They could have worked together."
Mateo Cruz, 6th Place
"We have to bring back this garland to Belize."
Again, that aerial footage was courtesy Heli-Bel Helicopters and their Robinson R-44 Helicopter.
It is notable that 3 of the top 5 finishers came from team Comfort Air which is a team sponsored by a Belizean-American. First place finisher William Elliston won a number of prizes including a $5,000 championship ring from JL's. He was also supposed to get a house lot from government however that went to Michael Lewis who was the first Belizean finisher. And if you are wondering - Ernest 'Jawmaine' Meighan finished 13th.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited for the internet by Keith Swift
