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The M&M Tour of Belize started this morning. 120 cyclists embarked on a 5 day six stage race. And minutes before the starting gun sounded the founder and organizer of the event Roque Matus told us that the tour will someday enable Belizean riders to take it to that other level.

Jules Vasquez,
What’s it like for you right now?

Roque Matus, Founder Tour of Belize
“Well right it is very hard. We are waiting for it to start so everything can calm down, everyone will understand what they need to do and we roll from there. My greatest hope is to have Belizean riders excel so they can go and be placed on the map and eventually we have professional riders riding the Tour de France or the big tours in Europe.”

Jules Vasquez,
Are you concerned that the Belizean riders may be outmatched?

Roque Matus,
“Well we have a very big tour in Africa now and when it started, over twelve years ago the Africans were not featuring. Now they are winning the races and we want to do the same thing. Obviously they might be early outmatched in the early stages but they will grow, they will develop.”

Jules Vasquez,
This is the first UCI accredited race in Belize. How significant is it for Belize that we put on a good show?

Randy Schaeffer, Commissaqire
“I think it is very significant because these events actually gain points for people who want to move towards the Olympics and international events so I think putting this on the international calendar gives Belize leverage, that people would want to come here to participate and gain those points.”

Jules Vasquez,
What about the standard for doping? Will there be a test for doping, UCI accredited supervision of that entire process?

Randy Schaeffer,
“Yes there is an international commissaqire that is assigned by the UCI for the anti-doping process and they are doing testing everyday.”

Kwame Scott, Sportscaster
“What are your expectations and how did you come to Belize to ride this tour?

Brian, Nicaragua-Honduras Team
“Well I am looking to get some good training mileage, you guys have a lot of kilometers here in your race, and we have some good riders from the Nicaraguan National Team that should do pretty well here.”

Kwame Scott,
“I won’t ask the team strategy outright but you carry Walter Garcia who finished fifth last year. What are the expectations as a team?”

Brian,
“I think we will be trying to help him out so he get a good result out here today or during the week.”

Jules Vasquez,
What’s the feeling like, you are about to go into the race? Do you have butterflies, are you nervous?

Shane Vasquez, Western Spirit Team
“Pretty much I have been racing for more than ten years and I am pretty much really calm and everything and I should by all means go out there with my very best and try my best to do good for the country today.”

Jules Vasquez,
Are you intimidated by the abundance of foreign competition, unknown cyclists?

Shane Vasquez,
“Not at all. Look at it, I’ve been racing for quite some time, like I said earlier, and I have been racing against some of these same guys before and I also raced against new guys before so it is nothing too really new for us. It is just going out there and trying our very best. And you can look at it, our roads are completely different compared to what they ride on in their country and the race will be completely different, the weather and so forth will be a plus for Belize.”

Jules Vasquez,
How much would it mean for you if at the end of it you are the one riding with the Belizean flag?

Shane Vasquez,
“Well it will be my glory, my pride for me at the end of the day to put on that leader’s jersey and represent this country. It will be a really nice feeling.”

At the end of today’s 128 mile stage 1, Carlos Oyarzun, a Chilean from Team Tecos placed first, beating Luciano Santos an Argentinean from Team Santino’s in the sprint. Cole House from the U.S. National Team was third and in fourth place was the only Belizean, Jose Choto with the C-Ray team. Tomorrow’s morning stage starts from Orange Walk at 8 in the morning and finishes at Leslie’s Imports around 11:00 am.