A new Cross Country record was set on Holy Saturday but American Boyd Johnson didn't only break the record, he broke the collective heart of the nation when he rode across the finish line in this year's race. That's right, Holy Saturday was a huge disappointment for cycling fans hoping for an encore of Shane Vasquez's triumphant ride to victory in 2006. We were there for the start and finish of Saturday's race. Here is a recap.
Keith Swift Reporting,
At 3 minutes before 6 o'clock on Holy Saturday morning 135 riders - 117 Belizeans and 18 foreign riders set out on the 59th Cross Country Cycling Classic. The race started from mile 2 on the Western Highway and the route was 139 miles long - to San Ignacio and back.
About 5 hours and 45 minutes later, which is record time, the pack was back into the city and on to the finish line. There were six riders at the front - 3 foreigners and three Belizeans - and at the end of the first lap - it was last year's golden boy Shane Vasquez who crossed the line first.
But the celebration in the stands was premature. As they rounded the first corner Shane Vasquez was barely holding on, and as they headed into the sprint, Shane was unable to fend off two Americans, a Guatemalan, and a Nicaraguan for
this classic finish between American Boyd Johnson, Jamaican-American Anthony Taylor and Mexican Ismael Ponce.
In the end it was Shane's teammate Boyd Johnson that rode away with the garland. In his first Cross Country, the Greenville South Carolina native was overwhelmed.
Boyd Johnson, 2007 Cross Country Champion
"This is the biggest victory I have ever had in my life and I am glad that I can do it in a country as great as Belize."
Kwame Scott, Positive Vibes Radio - Sportscaster
"Do you realize that you're not only the Cross Country Champ but you have officially the new record for this event?"
Boyd Johnson,
"It is a good feeling but I really didn't do a lot of work until the last ten or fifteen miles so everybody else that was doing the work for five and a half hours, they deserve the credit for making this the fastest race."
And on this Holy Saturday all the attention was on Boyd Johnson. That's much different than it was last year for his teammate Shane Vasquez. This year Shane placed 9th and looked on, as the media crowded the new champion. It was a disappointment for fans maybe but not for Shane. He says he made the sacrifice for his team.
Shane Vasquez, Finished 9th (Western Spirit)
"I am not disappointed and so forth. I really tried my best today and everything and you never know what will happen in the sport of cycling so some
days you are feeling good, some days you are feeling bad, and there are times when you have to make certain sacrifices and certain choices within an event and today I had to make that choice for one of my team members to take the win today. I know a lot of people wanted a Belizean to win it but after all I had to make a decision and have one of the sprinters from my team take the win today."
One man who was disappointed is Jamaican-American Anthony Taylor. The 45 year old finished an impressive second behind Boyd Johnson. But after 10 years at it - Taylor thought this would be the year he'd finally ride away with the garland.
Anthony Taylor, Finished 2nd
"I give up man. It is like you trying. I tried, I went crazy out there. I felt great. I've tried many times and maybe it is in my head, I don't know why but you can see I am always up there. I gave it my best shot, it is just that little bit."
Keith Swift,
You seem disappointed.
Anthony Taylor,
"I am disappointed. I trained well for this race. I gave it my best shot."
The first Belizean to cross the finish line was Roger Troyer from team Sagitun. It is a major improvement for Troyer who finished 28th last year. And along with his trophies - Troyer got this calf - a baby brama, as they generously
dubbed it -donated by UDP Belize Rural South standard bearer Edmund Castro. Troyer says giving Belizeans something to cheer about was good enough for him.
Roger Troyer, Finished 5th (Sagitun)
"I feel satisfied. I would have liked to win but the first Belizean is good enough for me."
Keith Swift,
What do you think went wrong out there for you?
Roger Troyer,
"Nothing really went wrong. Everything went according to the plan. I just need to work on my sprinting."
Keith Swift,
Are you disappointed in your performance?
Roger Troyer,
"Not at all."
Team Santino's Mateo Cruz was the seventh rider and the second Belizean to cross the finish line. Mateo says he is devastated.
Mateo Cruz, Finished 7th (Santino's)
"Man Keith words can't express how I feel right now. I feel down, I feel depressed. I rehearsed this in my mind over and over last night. I know I am the strongest Belizean apart from Shane and Marlon.
Coming to mile 3 I asked the Belizeans to bring this to me and I could win this but we started having personal differences on the road and coming down the stretch on the Boulevard, I made a mistake - I sprinted for the prize at
Brad's, the $1,200, and right there I think I took away some of legs but I just wanted to feel how I felt coming down to the sprint. And coming down to the sprint, I got locked in by the foreigners them and its just tactics man. Its just tactics and you make one simple move and it cost and it cost me and I have to live with that for the next year."
Keith Swift,
Are you disappointed in your performance?
Mateo Cruz,
"Well I am not really disappointed, I am just devastated right now mentally."
And it is those split second decisions that might have also cost the Choto family from San Ignacio and Roaring Creek's Quinton "The Baddest" Hamilton. Hamilton says it was a bad gamble while Jose Choto who leads his three brothers on C-Ray team - says coming back into the city they made some fatal mistakes.
Jose Choto, Finished 20th (C-Ray)
"The race, we were up front mainly all day but coming down to the finish we failed a little bit but that is part of the race too. Coming down after Belmopan I was following too many attacks and that is what done my legs so I couldn't
go anymore. I tried my best to stay with the man but I just couldn't."
Keith Swift,
You seem disappointed.
Jose Choto,
"Not really because we have a small team and Ray is supporting us fully but we really wanted to win today but we still have to satisfy with what we came in."
Quinton Hamilton, Finished 24th
"The race was kind of funny today. It was like you were in the casino. It was a lot of gambling. I was out front once trying to make a run for it to get the garland so that I could try and get some company, some stronger guys to come and meet me and go down the road but it didn't work out and then later on I tried another attack and unfortunately it didn't happen. Down the stretch we started a lot of gambling. It was fast, it was hard too but we just got to keep on trying and I am right here waiting again for next year."
And as Boyd Johnson was crowned king of Cross Country - the taste of national defeat was still bitter to fans - but as we've come to know, there's always next year, the promise of another shot, the promise…. of promise.
Boyd Johnson finished the race in 5 hours, 47 minutes, and 33 seconds. That's 38 seconds ahead of the record Chris Harkey set in 2004. As mentioned in the story Roger Troyer, Mateo Cruz, Shane Vasquez, and Giovanni Leslie were the only Belizeans who placed in the top ten, that's four riders. In the top 20, there were only 8 Belizean riders.
