PRESIDENT OF BELIZE CYCLING ASSOCIATION SUSPENDS FOUR MEMBERS OF SANTINO'S CYCLING TEAM

December 28, 2007

President of the Belize Cycling Association, Gerald Garbutt has suspended four members of the Santino’s Cycling Team.  The four cyclists are Mateo Cruz, Greg Lovell, Giovanni Leslie, and Marlon Castillo.  Cruz was suspended for two years while Lovell, Leslie, and Castillo were suspended for one year.  This morning, Love FM’s Sports Director Ruben Morales Iglesias spoke with both Garbutt and owner of the Santino’s Cycling Team, Santino Castillo. 

Ruben Morales Iglesias,Love FM:

“Santino Castillo says he’s lodging a protest with the association, and at the same time proceeding with a lawsuit against association for last week’s situation where his team was accused of bringing into the country EPO, a performance enhancement drug. Earlier today we spoke with President of the Belize Cycling Association, Gerald Garbutt, who was on the road, however he had this to say about the suspension.”

Gerald Garbutt,President of the Belize Cycling Association:

“We suspended four riders who didn’t shot up to see the doctors that we requested. They went to see their own doctor. We requested that they were just to select a doctor and tell them the time at the hospitals that they should go. Based on that alone, we can suspend for a period of which they have a latitude.”

Ruben Morales Iglesias,Love FM:

“Was there any independent partying supervising the drug testing?”

Gerald Garbutt,President of the Belize Cycling Association:

“No, no. there was nobody that did that. It was a independent body. There was the doctor from the Universal.”

Ruben Morales Iglesias,Love FM:

“Yes, but there was nobody else apart from the doctor there that was to be present?”

Gerald Garbutt,President of the Belize Cycling Association:

“Nobody has to be there. They requested the doctors and that’s all we are saying. We could have given them the whole day but you don’t need the whole day. The blood test was just to bring this thing to a closure so that we can deal with it.”

Gerald Garbutt, President of the Belize Cycling Association.

Ruben Morales Iglesias,Love FM:

“Santino Castillo, owner of the Santino Cycling Club says he is not happy with the sanctions.”

Santino Castillo, owner of Santino Cycling Club:

“No I got a letter of suspension for four of my riders, Mateo Cruz, Marlon Castillo, Greg Lovell and Giovanni Leslie for a year. These are four of Belize’s prime riders in their prime right now especially the younger kids who have dedicated a lot of effort nurturing and making it to this point and this will just ruin them and I think this is just a malicious act my the president and single handedly by him because I’ve checked with other executive members who haven’t even seen the letter that he sent. Of course I’m appealing it and I am hoping that the goodness of the board will give better judgment that Gerald Garbutt has gone against every single rule in the rule book where this is concerned.”

Ruben Morales Iglesias,Love FM:

“Of course Santino, you were also talking the other day about a lawsuit because of what transpired last week.”

Santino Castillo, owner of Santino Cycling Club:

“That will continue Ruben. Gerald Garbutt and Ray Cattouse have the same way libeled me and messed up my cycling career as the Chief Executive Officer and the Owner of the Santiago Castillo group of companies. They have libeled me big time and my companies and for that we will request some major damages; that I can promise you. Of course where cycling is concerned, I’m probably done and if these guys are not unsuspended, I am out of cycling forever. This day will live in infamy for Belizean cycling. This is wrong and let Belizeans be the judge of what has happened because this has been a witch hunt from the beginning and instead of being apologetic and doing the right thing, they have complicated the matter, but I’ll have my Ruben, I promise you that.”

Santino Castillo, owner of the Santino Cycling Club.

Ruben Morales Iglesias,Love FM:

“Mateo Cruz was suspended two years, Greg Lovell, Giovanni Leslie and Marlon Castillo one year by the Belize Cycling Association. The protest is to be heard very soon we suppose because the big race comes up on the first of the year, The Krem Cycling Classic, and indeed there is a technical meeting tonight at 7pm at the Belize City Center conference room to deal with the particular race on January 1^st. I am Ruben Morales Iglesias, Love FM Sports.”

Garbutt has informed that the suspensions are effective December 27, 2007.  Castillo says this action from the President of the Belize Cycling Association will damage the reputation of the four cyclists.  He said that recently Greg Lovell has been offered to ride with Environmental Alliance for the rest of the season after the tour of Belize and he believes the suspension may have a direct effect on Lovell’s cycling career. 

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