Cycling Federation of Belize settles Honduran Luis López’s record time for 94th Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic as five hours, 39 minutes, and 26 seconds (5:39:26)

Published by [email protected] at April 4, 2024

Posted: Thursday, April 4, 2024. 6:33 pm CST.

Honduran Luis López crosses finish line by Digi Park on Newton Barracks – Photo Credit: Belize Tourism Board

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: The Cycling Federation of Belize (CFB) on Thursday afternoon finally released the final results for the 139.9-mile 94^th Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic confirming Honduran Luis López’s record winning time as five hours, 39 minutes, and 26 seconds (5:39:26). In Tuesday’s Unofficial List the CFB had said the time was 5:39:25.418, but today it rounded off the time.

That means that López of LL Team broke the 2008 record of 5:40:12 set by American Ryan Bauman by 46 seconds. The CFB also confirmed that nine riders bested Bauman’s time.

Top Five riders – (l to R) Carlton Robinson (4^th), Alex Rony Julajuj (2^nd), Luis López (Champion), Abner Maxwell (3^rd), Cyrus Pearo (5^th) – Photo Credit: Belize Tourism Board

Belize’s biggest race, organized by the CFB, took off at 6:00 am by Digi Park in Belize City, headed to San Ignacio, and returned to Belize City finishing before midday at Digi Park on Newtown Barracks, right where it had started.

Guatemalan Alex Rony Julajuj of PPP Development Team was second and American Abner Maxwell of Skyline Cadence Cycling was third, both clocking 5:39:46, 20 seconds behind López .

Belizean Carlton Robinson of Alliance United grabbed fourth place in 5:39:57, 31 seconds behind.

First Belizean Alliance United’s Carlton Robinson was fourth – Photo Credit: Belize Tourism Board

First Belizean Alliance United’s Carlton Robinson crosses finish line – Photo Credit: Belize Tourism Board

Then, American Cyrus Pearo of Primal-Audi Denver led a five-man group to finish in fifth place. In the preliminary results, the CFB had Pearo finishing with the same time as Robinson but it was clear that his time should have been as they now present it at 5:40:00 flat.

Belizean Joslyn Chavarria, Jr. of Santino’s Belize Cycling Team was sixth, Canadian Jean-Michel Lachance of PPP Development Team (Quebexico) was seventh, Miami Blazers’ American Cory Lockwood was eighth, and Skyline Cadence Cycling’s American John Delong was ninth. They all had the same time as Pearo.

Delong’s American teammate, Clayton Travis, who led going into and out of San Ignacio, rounded off the Top 10 in 5:41:06, one minute and 40 seconds behind.

Last year’s second place rider, Cory Williams, Belizean-American of the Miami Blazers, placed 11^th with the same time as Travis.

2nd Belizean, Santino’s Belize’s Joslyn Chavarria, Jr. was sixth – Photo Credit: Belize Coast Guard

2023 winner Oscar Quiroz finished 12^th – Photo Credit: Belize Tourism Board

2023 champion, Valvoline’s Oscar Quiroz, rode in 20 seconds later in 12^th place clocking 5:41:26. Oscar was two minutes behind.

G-Flow’s Derrick Chavarria, Joslyn’s younger brother, rode in 13^th in 5:41:30, leading a group of 13 riders, including Junior Cross Country Cycling Classic Champion Jaylen Briceño.

Chavarria was followed by Lovell Cycling Team’s Giovanni Lovell (14^th), Valvoline’s Dylan Levy (15^th), Corozal Cycling Team’s Delton Rojas (16^th), PPP Development Team’s (Quebexico) American Shay Wright (17^th), G-Flow’s Goran Gabourel (18^th), G-Flow’s Jyven Gonzalez (19^th), Rolling Shattaz’s Brandon Morgan (20^th), Rolling Shattaz’s Dejuan Hyde (21^st), Rolling Shattaz’s Wasani Castro (22^nd), Rolling Shattaz’s Ivan Usher (23^rd), Genesis Cycling Team’s Briceño (24^th), and Robert Liam Stewart of MnM Engineering Cycling Team (25^th).

Second place winner Guatemalan Alex Rony Julajuj of PPP Development Team – Photo Credit: Belize Tourism Board

Looking at the Belizean riders, Chavarria was the first Under 23 rider, Rojas was the first Under 18 cyclist, and Briceño was the Youngest Rider to finish the race.

Robinson was the first Elite Category 3 and Levy was the first Elite 4/5. Byron Pope of Alliance United was the first Masters 35+ and Denroy Langford of PMA Racing was the first Masters 4/5.

In total, 67 riders finished out of the initial 116. However, only 55 finished within the time limit. Twelve finished over the time limit.

Forty five riders didn’t finish, one was disqualified, and three, a Belizean and two Mexicans, didn’t start the race.

In total, Belize placed two riders in the Top Ten (Robinson and Joslyn Chavarria), 11 among the Top 20, and 16 among the Top 25.

Here’s is the complete 94^th Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic List released by the Cycling Federation of Belize on Thursday, April 4, 2024:

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