21 women raced 68 miles from San Ignacio to Belize City in the female Cross Country. Its history may not be as mythical as the men's Cross Country but it is still the premier race of the female racing circuit. As we told you the favorite was Gina Lovell but when the race was in the victory lap, she wasn't even in the stadium and neither were any of the contenders! Here's what happened.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
Brenda Aguayo came into the Marion Jones Stadium alone. She completed the first lap visibly exhausted but went into the final lap in fair condition. But by the time, she came to the finishing stretch she had slowed to a crawl …and for a while looked like she might not even make it. She wobbled across the line for a feint but decisive first place finish.
She immediately had to be helped off her bike to help her get back her legs. But with all that it would be close to 10 minutes more before the pack of Belizean cyclists entered the stadium. And coming around to finish the first lap the pack of 6 riders stayed tight with everyone getting positioned for the final lap. And here's the sprint.
[Clip of Sprint]
Gina Lovell won the sprint and was the first Belizean to cross the line - but second was no consolation for this defending champion.
James Adderely, News 5
"What happened at the point when Brenda Mexican attacked?
Gina Lovell, 2nd Place
"I decided to go with her and then my heart rate went up and I decided
to hold and then let the other girls in the pelathon chase and I decided that I would stay with pelathon because I know that the pelathon is a big field and I decided that these girls will catch them but I guess not."
James Adderely,
"For the benefit of the Belizean public, you came in looking very strong, winning that sprint convincingly, where was all that energy when that gap was ballooning from 2 minutes to 3 minutes to what actually ballooned to 9 minutes plus."
Gina Lovell,
"When it went to four minutes I said girls we have to pick it up, the break is picking up and I think that Shalini's team and Comfort Air were going to step it up but I guess these girls were just babbling and decided that this other team is going to pace and this it was just a big fighting at the back."
Marionette Flowers, 6th Place
"When she attacked I the hills and we ladies, I don't have a team but I asked them if they would work and no one wanted to work and they just watched each other, all of us just watched each other. I asked most of them, Shalini and all of them if they wanted to work but she looked at me and said the gap is too small and so we could wait. I said I don't know what the competition is so we should work now. I couldn't get service because I had to stay on the
pace, stay on the pace, stay on the space; constantly pacing and can't get water and can't get anything at all. Down the stretch they wanted to work, they wanted to take it. The young lady had already opened a big gap 5 to 7minutes. It is just ridiculous for us to work so hard. I wanted to say thanks for the people who supported me, I worked hard and I didn't expect this. I am very embarrassed that I didn't even get a station prize, I worked hard."
James Adderely,
"Marionette you say that you are embarrassed but I would have liked to see you sacrifice your race for another Belizean to take attack and try to run and catch up with the foreigner or get on the pace and pull for everyone because at some point you all definitely settled for second place because the gap went from 6 minutes to almost 10 minutes by the time we entered Belize City."
Marionette Flowers,
"I can go out there and work hard, I don't have any teammate, I don't have any foreigner to help me. I go out there and I work. Everybody out there saw me trying to pace but what are we gong to do, its not only Marionette riding. When the race began I was in the front and I couldn't even get water so I think its unfair for you to say that. I do agree we ladies worked but it took too long for them to work hard."
James Adderely,
"Can I ask you this, are satisfied with your performance today overall?
Marionette Flowers,
"No, I don't, I don't."
And while both of those women had no teammate - the winning pair from team C-Ray didn't have that bitter aftertaste.
Brenda Aguayo, 1st Place
"I am very emotional. It is the first time in a while that I've ridden such a long race. I came two years ago wi5th a group of other rides - but it got stuck at the border with a group of other riders."
Kaya Cattouse,
"I decidied to let her stay out there because if we brought her back, what would C-Ray get?"
James Adderely,
"What does Kaya Cattouse do while sitting in the back, I know you don't do any pacing but what do you in the back, what goes through your mind?
Kaya Cattouse,
"I got a free ride just thinking about how I could get second place, how I would up in the spring. I was just contemplating."
And while 17-year-old Kaya can contemplate the many victories that may await her, these older cyclists are still savoring the bitter aftertaste of all that could have been.
This morning on REM's s WUB - Marinette Westby raised the complaint that Brenda Aguyao was a professional. That complaint has been made to the Cycling Association, but as we understand it, it has not been formally lodged. At this time, no hard evidence of her professional status has been confirmed. For her complete domination of the event, Aguayo took home over 4 dozen, that's right, 51 station prizes and that's 48 out of the 51 or so offered. She also took home a new record of 3 hour and 7 minutes, ssmashing the old record by 33 minutes. Second place Gina Lovell finished the race 8 minutes and 55 seconds behind Brenda Aguayo.
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