Shalini Zabaneh, Melvin Tillett & Peter Choto win 28th annual Belmopan Cycling Classic

Shalini Zabaneh, junior rider Melvin Tillett and Peter Choto won their respective races in the 28^th annual Belmopan Cycling Classic, the last dress rehearsal before the Holy Saturday Cross Country, on Sunday, March 7.

Team Sagitun’s Shalini Zabaneh of the Sagitun team won the female race, a 50 mile ride from the Constitution Park in Belize City to La Democracia and back in two hours 29 minutes and 54 seconds to win first prize and a trophy.

Sheena Castillo riding unattached outsprinted Fiona Humes-Gonzalez for second place in 2:32:57 while Humes placed 3^rd a second later.

Team Telemedia Swoosh’s Anthea Sutherland finished fourth in two hours 33 minutes and five seconds.

Team C-Ray’s Melvin Tillett clocked 2:35:27 as he won the Junior race, a 50 mile ride from the Constitution Park in Belize City to la Democracia and back to win first prize and a trophy.

Tillett outsprinted the Cayo High Road teammates Daniel Choto and Kyle Gentle took 2^nd and 3^rd places respectively. Team Clear Di Land’s Austin Armstrong was 4^th.

Mexican rider Johnny Quintal Valencia of the Depredadores team from Chetumal, Quintana Roo finished 5th in 2:38:27 seconds to win the youth category. Team C-Ray’s Christopher Andrews was 6th, Team Cayo High Road’s Aiden Juan clocked 2:38:56 to finish 7^th , winning 2^nd place in the Youth category.

Team Cayo High Road’s Richard Vera and Juan Umana Flores, both of the Cayo High Road team were 8^th and 9^th, Umana winning 3^rd place in the Youth category.  

Team Cayo High Road’s Kristopher Chuc rounded out the top 10.Team Clear Di Land’s Bernard Trapp was 11^th, Edward Burns was 12^th, Clear Di Land’s Wasani Castro was 13^th and Joel Borland riding unattached was 14th.

Ethan Neal was 15^th, C-ray’s Claude Young was 16^th, David Tillett of the M&M engineering team was 17^th, and Clear Di Land’s Steven Castaneda was 18^th. C-Ray’s Mitchell Lewis and Jeffery Rhaburn rounded out the top 20.

Team Zamir’s Peter Choto clocked 4:20:13 on his 100 mile ride from the Constitution Park in Belize City to Belmopan and back in to win first prize and a trophy in the Elite race. In the sprint to the finish, Choto opened up an 8 second gap from the 6-man breakaway to cross the finish line alone.

Team Santino’s Giovanni Leslie outsprinted Western Spirit’s Jose Choto for second place, clocking 4:20:21, with Roger Troyer taking fourth place 2 seconds later and Team Zamir’s Guatemalan rider Luis Santizo rounded out the top five.

Nieves Carrasco led the main peloton finishing two minutes behind the winner in sixth place. Gilberto Santiago Martinez was seventh, Mateo Cruz of the Zamir team pulled in eighth, Angel Tzib of the Western Spirit team was ninth and Quinton “the Baddest” Hamilton of the Zamir team rounded out the top 10- second among Category 3 riders

Brian Lopez of the Police team was 11^th, Team Santino’s Colombian import Lisban Quintero was 12^th, while Kyle Gentle of the Western Spirit team was 13^th. Darnell Barrow of the Santino’s team finished 14^th, Michael Lewis was 15^th – third in Category 3, and Rodrigo Leiva of the Sugar City Starz was 16^th.

Luigi Urbina of Team Typhoon from Orange Walk was 17^th but won first prize and a trophy in the Master’s category. Sherman Thomas of the Police team finished in 18^th position – second among the Masters’, while Collett “Bunas” Maheia of Sugar City Starz was 19^th – third among the masters.

Panamanian rider Christian Mcnish of Benny’s Megabytes completed the top 20, while his Costa Rican teammate was 21^st. Leroy Casasola and Domingo Lewis, both of the Santino’s team, were 22^nd and 23.

The favourite Marlon Castillo of the Zamir team finished in 24^th ahead of 2006 Cross Country champion Shane Vasquez of the Western Spirit team who pulled in 25^th. Arnidez Rivas of Sugar City Starz was 26^th and Kelvin Tillett – 27th.

| | | | | |