La Ruta de Los Conquistadores for 2005

The 2005 edition of the Costa Rican mountain bike race, La Ruta de Los Conquistadores, has been announced for November 11-13. The 2005 RdLC is a 520 km event covering 10,000 vertical metres of climbing, from the Pacific Ocean to the beaches of the Caribbean Sea, that retraces the historic steps of the Spanish conquistadors across Costa Rica.

Not only will the racers have to contend with each other, they will also have to pit themselves against Costa Rica's unforgiving natural environment, which includes endless hike-a-bike through mud, brutal climbs up smoldering volcanoes, long tricky descents through coffee plantations, and many climate changes.

"It's more like an adventure race than a world cup event," explained Román Urbina, creator of La Ruta de Los Conquistadores. "There are sections that can't even be navigated by 4X4s or motor-cross bikes. The riders have no access to external support and must rely on their own tenacity and the help of other competitors."

More information: www.adventurerace.com