La Ruta de los Conquistadores

La Ruta de los Conquistadores is an individual point to point mountain bike multi stage race. Racers may wear matching jerseys as 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.

There are eight categories in La Ruta de los Conquistadores:

• Female (all women regardless of their age)
• Open: 18–29 years old
• 30–39 years old
• 40–49 years old
• 50+ years
• Federated Racers
• Non-federated racers
• Fat Bike

The Federated Racers are those who have a UCI license or are officially federated by the Federación Costarricense de Ciclismo (Costa Rica). Pro Riders tend to be in the Open category while being federated.

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 and ends in Hacienda El Rodeo in the province of San José (Costa Rica's capital). During this stage competitors ride 110 kilometers (68 miles) approximately. The elevation gain of day one is of 3,400 meters (11,200 feet) approx. The altitude change riders experience is from 12 meters sea level, to 650 meters sea level, to 1201 meters sea level, to 490 meters sea level, finishing at 855 meters sea level. The climate during day one of La Ruta is Tropical Dry, ranging from 30 to 35 degrees Celsius.[7]

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 105 degrees F and cooler in the mountains.[7]

• Stage starts at 6:00am
• Finish line closes up at 5:45pm

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 79 kilometers (49 miles) approximately.[4] The elevation gain of day two is of about 2,500 meters (8,200 feet). The altitude change is 1291 meters over sea level, to 3025 meters over sea level, to 607 meters over sea level.[4] The climate during the Perafán de Ribera stage consists mostly of wind and rain, with a temperature range of 5 to 8 degrees Celsius, 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 79 km 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 1291 meters above sea level, the ride is a never-ending ascent until competitors reach 3025m (about 10,000 feet).[4] 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 607m (about 2,000) feet. On this day, it is very important to have well-functioning brakes and be prepared for cold weather riding. At 10,000 feet with wind and rain, hypothermia is a risk, as it can get near freezing.

• Stage starts ar 6:00am
• Finish line closes up at 5:45pm

The third day of La Ruta de los Conquistadores begins in Turrialba, Cartago and ends in Playa Bonita (translated into Pretty Beach) in the province of Limón. On this stage, riders cover a distance of 120 km (75 mi) approximately. The elevation gain of this stage is of 800 meters (2,600 feet) approximately.[8] Riders go through and altitude change of 618 meters over sea level, to 845 meters over sea level, to 0 meters above sea level. The climate during the Cristobal Colón stage is Tropical Wet, which means it will be hot a humid, with a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius and up. The terrain consists of 35% paved roads and 65% gravel roads and train tracks.[8]

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

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 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.

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