Email

Print

He is the biggest name in cycling in Belize and has some of the best riders on his team - but today Santino Castillo announced that after 29 years he is retiring. Castillo will no longer sponsor Team Santino’s or San Cas Red Bull. Marlon Castillo, Greg Lovell, and Giovanni ‘Froggie’ Leslie are now all without a team.

And while he has retired before, twice to be exact, and returned before a big race – this time “the chief” says it is for real – at least for right now. In a long letter sent to Cycling Association President Gerald Garbutt and copied to the media, Castillo says he is retiring with deep sorrow and mixed emotions. He says is essentially because of conflicts with Raymond Cattouse and President Garbutt. Castillo says the scale was tipped two weeks ago when he saw a competing team sponsor physically assault a rider from another team. No punitive measures have been takes, and so Santi says that before something like that happens to him, he’s quitting. He discussed his retirement and its implications for cycling with Keith Swift this afternoon.

Santino Castillo, Retiring
“I keep getting slapped in my face by existing President. Every time I am preparing for a race he pulls out a new rabbit out of the hat. So I’ve been turning my cheeks but my cheeks are a little tired now. I don’t want to continue. I’ve made up my mind that I definitely don’t want to continue. It is no longer fun. It has become bitter so let somebody else pick up.

I feel that Mr. Gerald Garbutt wants me out and he has done enough things to prove that so let him have his Belize Cycling Association and his elite riders. I will stick to my little 4-5 and Master’s Club.”

Keith Swift,
What will happen to the guys you’ve been working with? What happens to Marlon, what happens to Froggie, what happens to Gregory and George Lovell?

Santino Castillo,
“Marlon is a free agent, Froggie is a free agent, Gregory and his brother George are free agents. You have the young boy, Noel Grajalez, a good rider from up north, Orange Walk. They are all free agents.”

Keith Swift,
You brought up these boys, I know Marlon has been racing with you…

Santino Castillo,
“From he was 14 years old. He is 21. Marlon has been with me for six years, he will be 21 years old in July.”

Keith Swift,
Don’t you think he will be negatively affected?

Santino Castillo,
“They’ve already been negatively affected with me. The EPO scandal alone, that devastated those kids. And I feel that if I stay in, now that I have a lawsuit against Mr. Garbutt, they will be more affected – they will get punished. So it is best I come out and they go on a next team.”

Keith Swift,
This is not the first time you’ve said you would resign? You said as much in 2001 and then in 2004. What’s different this time?

Santino Castillo,
“The previous times I retired and wanted to retire, there was always a good reason to come back and the sport had never deteriorated this much and I never felt this bitter towards it. There is no longer love in my heart for it. Maybe in 4 years when Garbutt is out of it, like Ali, I will un-retire. It depends on how I feel at that time.”

Keith Swift,
What do you see changing in cycling because of our retirement?

Santino Castillo,
“Cycling will go on. Definitely it will go on. It certainly won’t go on the way when I was in it for 29 years. Everyone’s goal was to beat the black and white team. My record proves it; I’ve won 11 Cross Countrys as a sponsor. My team wins and all the other teams wanted to beat my team. Without my team, actually a lot of them will be sad, they won’t have Santi to beat again.”

Keith Swift,
So you’re gone for now?

Santino Castillo,
“At least until Garbutt is out but personally I believe Keith it is for good.”

This evening Cycling Association President Gerald Garbutt, who is being sued by Castillo, says that was Santino’s call to make. He says it is nothing personal between the two. Garbutt says the problem is Castillo was used to getting his own way. As for the incident with the competing sponsor – the man he allegedly beat has requested that there be no court action.

Castillo has been in cycling for 29 years and he estimates he spends $100,000 a year. That amounts to roughly over $2.9 million over the 29 years. As he mentioned he will still continue to sponsor his master’s team.