La Ruta de los Conquistadores ("The Conquistadors' Trail" in English), known as the first mountain bike

race Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...

of its kind, is a multi-

stage Stage or stages may refer to: Acting * Stage (theatre), a space for the performance of theatrical productions * Theatre, a branch of the performing arts, often referred to as "the stage" * ''The Stage'', a weekly British theatre newspaper * Sta ...

race held in Costa Rica.Urbina, Roman. "La Ruta De Los Conquistadores." Personal interview. 11 February 2013. La Ruta de los Conquistadores consists of crossing Costa Rica from the

Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

to the

Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...

Coast over the course of three days. It is an individual race, covering approximately of terrain. First staged in 1992, the three-day race tests athletes with its 8000 (approx.) meters of

elevation gain In running, cycling, and mountaineering, cumulative elevation gain refers to the sum of every gain in elevation throughout an entire trip. It is sometimes also known as cumulative gain or elevation gain, or often in the context of mountain travel, ...

and strong climate changes. The event is also open to amateurs, having a 12-hour window to finish each stage. If competitors do not finish a stage, they are still welcome to race the next day, but their cumulative times will not count on the overall results. Kevin Vermaerke, founder of the Cape Epic event in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

, took inspiration from La Ruta de los Conquistadores.

Origins

La Ruta de los Conquistadores, also widely known simply as La Ruta, was born in an effort to call the attention of the media, both nationally (in Costa Rica) and internationally, to the importance of the

conservation Conservation is the preservation or efficient use of resources, or the conservation of various quantities under physical laws. Conservation may also refer to: Environment and natural resources * Nature conservation, the protection and managem ...

of the

flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous (ecology), indigenous) native plant, native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' ...

and

fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is ''funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as ''Biota (ecology ...

of the country. La Ruta began as an ecological expedition following the paths of the Spanish conquistadors Juan de Cavallón y Arboleda,

Pedro Afán de Ribera Pedro Afán de Ribera, 1st Duke of Alcalá de los Gazules, Virrey y Capitán General de Cataluña y Nápoles (died 1571), also known as Pedro Enriquez Afan de Ribera or Per Afán de Ribera y Portocarrero or Perafán de Ribera y Portocarrero, was a ...

, and Juan Vázquez de Coronado during their expeditions around 1653–1660. The actual race was started in 1993 by Román Urbina, a renowned athlete and adventurer, also nominee for the mountain bike hall of fame for his work with La Ruta. Along with some friends, Urbina decided to follow the steps of the Spanish conquistadors on his mountain bike for fun, realized how great of an event it could be, and turned it into an international event since its first edition.

Route

The route traverses Costa Rica in three days, from the west coast town of Jacó to Bonita beach in the Caribbean Coast. The complete trajectory is of approximately 400 kilometers, although it varies slightly each year. It follows the footsteps of the Conquistadors crossing rivers, valleys and climbing mountains. The highest point of elevation in the three-day course is the

Irazú Volcano The Irazú Volcano ( es, Volcán Irazú) is an active volcano in Costa Rica, situated in the Cordillera Central close to the city of Cartago. The name could come from either the combination of "ara" (point) and "tzu" (thunder) or a corruptio ...

, at ."Stage 2: La Ruta De Los Conquistadores." AdventureRace. La Ruta De Los Conquistadores, n.d. Web. 11 February 2013. The race has a three-day point-to-point format, which means each racer must make it from start to finish in a certain amount of time. There are four check points per day, and these also serve as

aid station An aid station is a temporary facility (often a tent, table, or general rest area) established to provide supplies to endurance event participants or medical first aid and provisions during major events, disaster response situations, or military ...

s, located every through the race course. There is a time limit for reaching each aid station, such that if a racer does not make it in time to that certain aid station he or she will be picked up by a rescue truck and taken to the finish line. In 2015, the route which took riders up and over Irazú and Turrialba volcanoes was diverted, with organizers citing too much volcanic activity as the reason.

Race concept

Individual

La Ruta de los Conquistadores is an individual point-to-point mountain bike multi-stage race. Racers may wear matching jerseys for camaraderie or support, but at the end of the day each racer will be judged individually by their time in each one of the stages.

Rescue truck

If a racer does not finish a day's stage in the amount of time given, they will be picked up by a rescue truck and will be taken to the finish line of that particular day. They are welcome to ride the next day's stage but their cumulative times will not enter in the overall results.

Aid

The first fifty riders cannot receive any type of aid outside of the aid stations, situated every 25 kilometers. The rest of the riders can receive aid from support teams, and even stop at small businesses and get refreshments or whatever they need.

Stages

Stage 1: Juan de Cavallón

Day one of La Ruta de los Conquistadores is named after Juan de Cavallón, a very important conquistador in Costa Rica. This stage begins on the Pacific Coast in the beach of Jacó, located in the province of

Puntarenas Puntarenas () is a city in the Puntarenas canton of Puntarenas Province, on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica. As the seat of the Municipality of Puntarenas canton, it is awarded the title of city, which is made from the Puntarenas, Chacarita and ...

and ends in Hacienda El Rodeo in the province of San José (Costa Rica's capital). During this stage competitors ride approximately. The elevation gain of day one is of approx. The altitude change riders experience is from above sea level, to above sea level, to 1201 meters sea level, to above sea level, finishing at above sea level. The

climate Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologi ...

during day one of La Ruta is Tropical Dry, ranging from ."Stage 1:La Ruta De Los Conquistadores." AdventureRace. La Ruta De Los Conquistadores, n.d. Web. 11 February 2013. La Ruta's day one starts at 6:00 am and gives competitors until 5:30 pm (11.5 hours) to complete the 110 km route before being picked up by the rescue truck and disqualified from the overall results. From sea level, riders climb numerous hills that hit riders with a total elevation gain of approximately 12,000+ feet. That's why Day 1 is known by competitors as the "make it or break it day". Riders must expect all kinds of riding conditions this day: mud, gravel, asphalt, and loose rocks. Temperatures will be very high in the lowlands, as high as and cooler in the mountains. * Stage starts at 6:00am * Finish line closes up at 5:45pm

Stage 2: Perafán de Ribera

The second day of La Ruta de los Conquistadores begins in Tres Ríos, located in the province of Cartago and ends in Turrialba, also located in Cartago. During this stage competitors ride approximately. The elevation gain of day two is of about . The altitude change is over sea level, to over sea level, to over sea level. The climate during the Perafán de Ribera stage consists mostly of wind and rain, with a temperature range of , and drastic climate changes. Hypothermia is usually a problem during this stage. The terrain is 20% pavement, 20% volcanic rocks and ash, 30% steep uphill and 30% technical downhill. Day 2 also starts at the crack of dawn and racers have until 5pm to finish. The feature a fearsome climb of about 6,000 feet, from Tres Ríos straight up the Irazú Volcano, with the high probability of bitterly cold weather much of the day. Starting at above sea level, the ride is a never-ending ascent until competitors reach . Then it levels off, passes the Turrialba Volcano, and starts one of the fastest and longest downhills in Costa Rica, finishing in the town of Turrialba at an elevation of . On this day, it is very important to have well-functioning brakes and be prepared for cold weather riding. At with wind and rain,

hypothermia Hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below in humans. Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. In severe ...

is a risk, as it can get near freezing. * Stage starts at 6:00am * Finish line closes up at 5:45pm

Stage 3: Cristóbal Colón

The third day of La Ruta de los Conquistadores begins in Turrialba, Cartago and ends in Playa Bonita ("Pretty Beach" in English) in the province of

Limón Limón (), commonly known as Puerto Limón, is a district, the capital city and main hub of Limón province, as well as of the Limón canton in Costa Rica. It is the seventh largest city in Costa Rica, with a population of over 55,000, and is ho ...

. On this stage, riders cover a distance of approximately. The elevation gain of this stage is of approximately."Stage 3: La Ruta De Los Conquistadores." AdventureRace. La Ruta De Los Conquistadores, n.d. Web. 11 February 2013. Riders go through and altitude change of over sea level, to above sea level, down to sea level. The climate during the Cristobal Colón stage is Tropical Wet, which means it will be hot and humid, with a temperature of and up. The terrain consists of 35% paved roads and 65% gravel roads and train tracks. Stage 3 goes through a series of climbs and down hills for a total elevation gain of about 2700 feet, mostly during the first half of the ride. The last half is mainly flat. Despite the relatively small amount of climbing, this is a hard, long 120 km, frequently with hot coastal temperatures, scattered showers, tropical vegetation and very long, flat straightaways. * Stage starts at 7:00am * Finish line closes at 5:45pm

Organization

La Ruta de los Conquistadores' organization consists of four full-time employees, and 3 part-time employees during 10 months of the year. During the month before La Ruta, and during the three days of the race itself, there are more than 100 people employed.

Logistics

Each year, La Ruta de los Conquistadores is planned at the end of the last one. It takes a whole year to get the

logistics Logistics is generally the detailed organization and implementation of a complex operation. In a general business sense, logistics manages the flow of goods between the point of origin and the point of consumption to meet the requirements of ...

in check. With 500 riders moving from town to town, the organization has to take into account the food and water provided to them, as well as their comfort and safety. At the end of each day, riders arrive to the finish line where they find all the amenities they might need. There is a buffet for lunch that includes every food group so competitors can choose what exactly they need after a long day of racing. There are men and women showers, and a bicycle wash area. A mechanical tent for any bike related troubles is put up as well. A massage area is also available. There is also medical care at each of the finish lines. The services included to all racers are the lunch buffet, the showers and the bicycle wash. Extra charge is added for the mechanical revision and the massage.

Medics

La Ruta de los Conquistadores racers are covered by a basic insurance from the INS (Instituto Nacional de Seguros), which is the National Insurance Company in Costa Rica. Also, the organization of La Ruta de los Conquistadores requires riders to be covered by a personal insurance. During the race, the National Red Cross is in charge of the medical coverage. An

ambulance An ambulance is a medically equipped vehicle which transports patients to treatment facilities, such as hospitals. Typically, out-of-hospital medical care is provided to the patient during the transport. Ambulances are used to respond to medi ...

and a motorcycle are situated at each of the finish lines, in case of any accidents during the course of a stage, the ambulance will go and pick up the injured competitor.

Environmental conscience

La Ruta de los Conquistadores is an eco-friendly race. The organization is highly conscious of the

environmental impact Environmental issues are effects of human activity on the biophysical environment, most often of which are harmful effects that cause environmental degradation. Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment on t ...

500 competitors over three days can make. This is the reason why if a competitor is seen disposing of garbage somewhere that isn't marked for garbage disposal, he or she will be disqualified. La Ruta de los Conquistadores uses

biodiesel Biodiesel is a form of diesel fuel derived from plants or animals and consisting of long-chain fatty acid esters. It is typically made by chemically reacting lipids such as animal fat ( tallow), soybean oil, or some other vegetable oil ...

in all of their trucks. Bio-degradable detergents and oils are used in the bicycle wash and mechanic tents. Residues are separated and taken to the recycling plant.

Prizes

La Ruta de los Conquistadores has prize money for the elite and women category finishers, the amount of money varies each year. For the elite and women finishers, along with the winners of each category, there are varied prizes in cycling products such as rims, helmets, etc.

Charities

La Ruta de los Conquistadores works mainly with the Alcci (Asociación Lucha Contra el Cáncer Infantil, or "Association for the Fight against Children's Cancer" in English). Alcci works to raise funds for children's cancer research. La Ruta gives a percentage of the inscription money to the foundation, which varies every year. La Ruta and Alcci have been working together since 2009.

Media

La Ruta de los Conquistadores is very well placed as a strong sporting event in Costa Rica, with media coverage in the main television stations and the main newspapers. This coverage follows each stage of the race and usually gets the first page of the country's most important newspaper,

La Nación ''La Nación'' () is an Argentine daily newspaper. As the country's leading conservative newspaper, ''La Nación''s main competitor is the more liberal '' Clarín''. It is regarded as a newspaper of record for Argentina. Its motto is: "''La Na ...

. Internationally, La Ruta de los Conquistadores has been featured in more than 150 magazines during its 21 years of existence. Some of the magazines that have covered La Ruta are Bike Magazine,

VeloNews ''VeloNews'' is an American cycling magazine headquartered in Boulder, CO. It is published by Outside and is devoted to the sport of cycling. History The magazine was first published as ''Northeast Cycling News'' in March 1972 by Barbara and R ...

, Bike Action and

Time (magazine) ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Mar ...

.Cruz, Gilbert. "Top 10 Endurance Competitions." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 26 February 2013.

References

*Urbina, Roman. "La Ruta De Los Conquistadores." Personal interview. 11 February 2013. *Hoad, Richard, and Paul Moore. The World's Toughest Endurance Challenges. Boulder, CO: VeloPress, 2012. Print. *"Stage 2: La Ruta De Los Conquistadores." AdventureRace. La Ruta De Los Conquistadores, n.d. Web. 11 February 2013. *Stage 1:La Ruta De Los Conquistadores." AdventureRace. La Ruta De Los Conquistadores, n.d. Web. 11 February 2013. *"Stage 3: La Ruta De Los Conquistadores." AdventureRace. La Ruta De Los Conquistadores, n.d. Web. 11 February 2013. *Cruz, Gilbert. "Top 10 Endurance Competitions." Time. Time, n.d. Web. 26 February 2013. *De Tarso, Paulo. "La Ruta De Los Conquistadores Costa Rica." Bike Action 2006: 86–89. Web. *"La Ruta Goes Global." Bike Magazine November 2006: 32. Web. 11 February 2013. *"Off The Front." Velo News February 2011: 6–7. Web. 11 February 2013. {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruta de los Conquistadores Mountain biking events Sport in Costa Rica Recurring sporting events established in 1993