Photo: Cory Williams – 2025 Krem New Year’s Cycling Classic Champion (Photo: Photo Factory)
by William Ysaguirre
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Jan. 2, 2025
Cory Williams of the Miami Blazers team set a new record time of 3:23:23 when he won the 2025 KREM New Year’s Day Cycling Classic, outsprinting the 2020 champion Oscar Quiroz of the Valvoline team under pouring rain at the finish line in front of the Belize City Civic Center on Wednesday, January 1.
Photo: 2025 Krem New Year’s Cycling Classic top Elite finishers: (l to r) 2nd (BZE): Oscar Quiroz; 1st (BZE): Cory Williams; 3rd (COL): Miguel Angel Cendales Lopez. (Photo: Photo Factory)
Williams captured the $2,500 first prize and a round trip to the USA, along with the champion’s trophy. He also won $1,500 in prizes offered by Andrew Trumbach and Hon. Shyne Barrow for the 1st Belizean to cross the finish line, after sweeping $400 in station prizes at the Lords Bank junction and in Ladyville.
Quiroz claimed the $1,500 2nd prize and trophy, sweeping $300 in station prizes. Colombian rider Miguel Angel Cendales Lopez secured 3rd place to win a $1,000 prize and trophy; he had swept another $1,000 in 10 station prizes along the way. Jyven Gonzalez of Team G-Flow won a $500 prize for 4th place and had cleaned up $1,100 in 4 station prizes along the route. Canadian Jean-Michel Lachance of Team Knix Knax Transit claimed the $350 5th prize and $1,650 in station prizes, including the $1,000 Digi gift package at the Airport junction.
Photo: 2025 Krem New Year’s Cycling Classic Masters 4-5 top finishers: (l to r) 2nd Henry Moriera; 1st Byron Pope; 3rd Kenroy Gladden
The 2023 champion, Derrick “Baby Chav” Chavarria of Team G-Flow, rode in 6th to win a $275 prize. He also won the $500 prize offered by the Alfred Parks Foundation for the Most Aggressive Rider and the $500 prize offered by Hon. Shyne Barrow for the 1st Belizean to cross Haulover Bridge. He had swept over $2,500 in station prizes along the way, including two $1,000 prizes at the SHELL One Stop gas station in Orange Walk and at Mile 37, and two $200 prizes in Calcutta and at the Haulover Bridge.
Carlton Robinson of the A.Mahler Digi-Alliance team won $200 for his 7th place finish; Jaylen Briceño of Team G-Flow rode in a minute later in 8th place to win a $75 prize, and Delton Rojas of the Rolling Shattaz team won $150 in 9th place. The 2024 Holy Saturday Cross Country champion – Honduran rider Luis Lopez, rode in 2 minutes after Williams to round out the top 10 and claim a $100 prize.
Jafari Castro of Team G-Flow was 11th, and Byron Pope was 12th, each winning a $75 prize. Quiroz’s teammate Dylan Levy was 13th; Robinson’s teammate Henry Moriera was 14th, and Hollis Baptist of Team G-Flow was 15th; each won a $50 prize.
Three-time Lionman champion Kenroy “Smokes” Gladden of the SPD team was 16th; Jairo Campos of Team Wateva Boyz was 17th, and Robinson’s teammate Fernando Rosado was 18th. Joshua Fuller of Team Santino’s was 19th, and Giovanni Lovell of Team Lovell rounded out the top 20; these last 5 riders each received a $25 prize.
Photo: 2025 Krem New Year’s Cycling Classic Over-50 Masters top finishers: (l to r) 2nd Robert Stewart; 1st Dwayne Wade; 3rd Roque Matus. (Photo: Photo Factory)
Pope won a $500 prize and a trophy as the first Masters 4/5 rider; Moriera won the $200 in this category, and Gladden won the $100 3rd prize. Similarly, in the Masters Over-50 category, Dwayne Wade of the BZ Boyz team won the $500 prize and trophy, Robert “Liam” Stewart won the $200 2nd prize, and Roque Matus of Team M&M Engineering won the $100 3rd prize. The final rider to finish the race—Tyler Trapp, won the $100 perseverance award offered by Gloria Wilds.
