But we doubt any of the over 120 riders taking part in Saturday’s Cross Country Classic will be able to stomach too much of that Good Friday fish. That’s because most of them are preparing for the biggest race of their lives- and the butterflies do arise, when history is at hand. This evening after they did their traditional parade through the city – we caught up with a few of the key players and personalities in this year’s event.
Ernest ‘Jawmaine’ Meighan, Team Santino’s
“Our whole team is ready, the foreigners are ready to bring home the bacon to make sure one of our Belizean riders win this year.”
Keith Swift,
What was it like preparing for what will be your last Cross Country?
Ernest ‘Jawmaine’ Meighan,
“Well this is my last Cross Country so everybody knows that my team is going to ride for me. If I am there and don’t have it at the end, that is when they are going to try and win it with some other rider on our team, hopefully a local guy. I am ready for this race knowing this is my last Cross Country I am going very hard for it.”
Marlon Castillo, Team Santino’s
“Right now we are quite ready for this race Saturday so there are
a lot of foreigners coming in already and those guys are good contestants so we have to see yet what will happen to that when that day comes. We give them enough respect because they are very good but same way I am ready for this race too and I think this year I will try my best again.”
Santino Castillo, Manager – Team Santino & San Cas Red Bull
“This year I am fielding two teams Keith, I am fielding both Team Santino’s with 7 riders and Team Red Bull with 7 riders. 5 local guys and two foreigners on each team.”
Keith Swift,
Who will be your strongest guy out there on Saturday?
Santino Castillo,
“Well let me tell you something Keith, last year the Guatemalan Lisandro Cruz paced for 30 miles to catch the front break to bring Mateo Cruz into the track and Mateo let us down but clearly Lisandro Cruz is a strong rider. I have the two Americans Gavriel Epstein and Ryan Baumann and from the Belizean side you can’t ever discard Jawmaine and of course Super Marlon will be there and then if they bring it down to a sprint I have Greg Lovell. I have a wide stable of riders and keep your eyes also on Froggy Leslie.”
Keith Swift,
Santi what is your take on drug testing, reports are that there will be none.
Santino Castillo,
“I don’t like it Keith. I would prefer there to be drug testing. All of my riders were tested in the Tour of Belize and so far nothing has come back on any of them because I am convinced that my riders are clean. As far as I know they have always been clean. I can’t swear for what they do behind my back. The foreigners on the other hand you can never tell. A foreigner came in first and another foreigner came in second in the New Year’s Classic and they went home with all our prizes and they were not tested. I would prefer drug testing, I clearly would.”
Keith Swift,
How confident are you that the foreigners on your teams are drug free?
Santino Castillo,
“I believe that my riders are drug free. I won’t say I know they are drug free but I am 95% sure that they are.”
