It's Finally Here...81st Cross Country Classic...GO!!!

All the training, prep racing, 6 - 8 hour Sunday rides, 4:00 a.m. Saturday's to go race in Belize City, this is what it boils down to, Saturday April 11th, 6:00 a.m., 144 miles, the heat...the gusting south-easterly winds...it's shaping up to be yet another history making classic.

Going into the race we already have an idea whose going well for us. Roger and Giovanni have been riding well, with Rog placing 3rd in the last two major classics and Giov winning two races in Guatemala while on a 3 week training camp there with Nery Velasquez (Cafe Queztal). Nery and Luis Santizo arrive later this week and while only Luis will ride for us on Saturday, Nery's presence will be greatly appreciated as he will bring another great cycling mind to the think tank for strategy planning. Also bolstering the squad's efforts will be last year's 4th place finisher Carlos Hernandez, another Guatemalan saddling up for us this year.

Already in town is Bill Elliston who will be riding for Team Zamir. Bill is a former Cross Country Champ (2005) and has been racing at both the elite amateur and professional levels for 20 years. He also coaches and is a student of the sport. Rounding out the foreign support for the race for us will be the Mercinary, Eric Murphy from the Myogenesis.com Cycling Team out of Georgia. E-Murph's been here for two major classics already and should play a key role marking dangerous moves for us during the race.

Of our local guys, Roger, Giovanni, Quinton, Jose, Mateo...all have great chances of winning this event and should be able to use their experience and conditioning to position themselves well when the deck is being shuffled. For anyone whose familiar with this race, it is typically a race that's decided in the last 25 - 30 miles. our strategy will be simple, preserve as many of our guys as possible for the last 30 - 40 miles so that we canhave and maintain a presence in all the decisive moves and then position our protected guys into the winning opportunities.

The competition should be strong. The team to watch will definitely be Santino's who've split their team as well by re-introducing Redbull and bring the likes of Frank Travieso and Yusvany Falcon in for the race. These two will be sure to protect the speedster and reigning Nation Champ Greg Lovell. Additionally, they have the recently crown Belmopan Classic winner Jeovanni Leslie, super srpinter Darnell Barrow, and former SC Starz work horse Berty Brown as options to play.

Benny's too should post additional threats in the likes of young sensation Byron Pope and veteran Jeffery Zelaya, but moreso in the presence of Panamian sprinter Christian McNish and Costa Ricans Nieves Carasco and Pablo Espinoza, as well as the legendary Columbian Carlos Robles.

C-Ray will counter with Brandon Cattouse and will no doubt have the services of the Mexican and Canadian duo of Yapur and Barkhouse who will be coming in as part of the Merida delegation. Former Champ Shane Vasquez (Western Spirits) has been quiet all season, but as been steadily improving in his form and performances since Valentine's and should be right there again. This is his kind of race and he can't be counted out.

Other possible contenders include Chris Harkey who'll be riding again for Acros/Guiness and while many may count him out because of his age, he too as been improving his performances fro a 22nd New Years, to a 6th for Belmopan (3 weeks ago).

The Mexican and Guatemalan contingents will be active and should be out gunning early for the money prizes and not so much for teh overall win. They come strictly to collect. Only time will tell...keep you posted!