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 Known as the Switzerland of
Central America, Costa Rica is famous for its pristine coast and
well organized tourism. It's also famous as the host country for
La Ruta de Los Conquistadores.
In previous years, La Ruta de los Conquistadores
was a 3-day event and promoted itself as “The Toughest Mountain Bike
Race on the Planet.” The race is being extended to four days
for 2007, So, we guess that they're keen to keep the title as
the toughest.
The race traverses this small Latin American
country – from the Pacific to the Atlantic – climbing 9,000 meters
in 350 muddy kilometers. Add in dense jungle, cramp-inducing
humidity, freezing 3,000 meter peaks, and the claim to be the
toughest seems credible.
 The
exact route and profile for 2007 has not yet been released, but the
organizers tell us that Day 1 will be easier than last year.
The additional day is Day 2 when we ride in the hills south of San
Jose. Day 3 is slightly shorter than last year's Day 2 -
though with a very similar vertical profile. Day 4 is almost
identical to last year's Day 3. Below is the profile for the
2006 event.
(Ride Card from Day 1 - 2006)
Slide Show
La Ruta
2007 at a Glance
La Ruta
2006
More Resources
Country: Costa Rica
Race start: Punta Leona, Pacific Coast
Race finish: Puerto Limón, Atlantic Coast
Duration: 4 days
Distance: 355 kilometers
Total ascent: >12,000 meters
Minimum altitude: Sea level
Maximum altitude: 3,010 meters above sea level
Entrants by country: Costa Rican: 203, US: 92, Canada: 31, UK: 2,
Other: 60
Male : Female ratio – 90 : 10
Our team had a great race on
2006 - with a third place for Hillary Harrison and all but one of
our amateur riders completing the 300KM/30,000ft course. All
this through one of the world's most geographically diverse
countries. Day by day highlights included:
Day 1: Pacific Coast to San José
Starting at the Pacific Coast, the riders soon abandoned benign
white-sand beaches for steep, jungle tracks – shouldering their
bikes to ford streams and wade through ankle deep mud. Day 1 ended
just short of the capital, San José. For those not used to it – and
that includes most of the foreign riders – the heat was one of the
toughest aspects of the day. Our on course support helped riders stay well hydrate
and "fresh" for Day 2.
Day 2: San José to Turrialba
On the second day, the race climbed out of San José up the slopes of
the Irazú Volcano. This 11,260-foot peak dominates the skyline above
the city and for the next 40 kilometers, the riders knew nothing but
climbing. In places, the steepness of the grade and looseness of the
volcanic ash sent rear wheels spinning and front wheels floating.
Many bikers became walkers in pursuit of the mist-shrouded
peak.
The temperature plummeted with the altitude and strong winds on
sweat-soaked Lycra meant collecting a jacket from the support
vehicle at the first rest stop was a must. A steep,
technical descent returned the competitors to the tropical heat where
we rested overnight. A massage helped clear the lactic acid so our
riders could go into Day 3 with still-strong legs.
 Day 3: Turrialba to the Caribbean Coast
The last day was mostly downhill towards the Atlantic Ocean; past
acres of banana plantations. However, the grind was not over. This
was
the wet side of the country, and riders battled clawing mud, rattled
along disused railway lines and rode through tropical downpours
before emerging victorious at the Caribbean beaches of Puerto Limón.
Bike Magic article written by our own Tony Blakey
Cycling News' analysis of La Ruta
VeloNews coverage of the 2005 event
Tinker Juarez's take on the hardest race he's ever done
Brett Wolfe: First One-Legged Racer to Finish Ever
Some great pictures in Joe Lawwill's article for bikemag.com
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