November 03, 2011 (San Jose, Costa Rica) – At 8:30am the first rider was seen coming out of what’s been nicknamed “the mud pits of hell”, a section of yellowish gluelike mud within the depths of the Carara rainforest.
Drenched in mud, 2011 Leadville100 winner Todd Wells was the first racer to reach CP2, where a fervent contingent of local and international media awaited the first riders to start the minute by minute coverage of Stage1.
Wells was followed by Honduran racer, Milton Ramos who would exchange lead wheels at times. Yet it was about five kilometers before CP4 where Wells stood on his feet with a malicious smile on his face and picked up his pace reaching a lead of over six minutes by the time he reached CP5.
Costa Rica rider, Rom Akerson, was the big surprise at Stage1, he showed strength and determination riding next to ‘Lico’ Ramírez up the hill to CP4 where Lico dropped positions due to stomach problems. Akerson picked up the tempo and shortened distance with Milton Ramos to reach third place only three minutes behind Ramos.
2011 Leadville record holder, Rebecca Rusch, is back for some tropical mountain biking pain. She finished second today ten minutes behind Costa Rican rider, Adriana Rojas, the strongest female rider of the day.
Weather on our side, partly cloudy skies, no rain for a change… 63 kilometers of beautiful coffee plantation country await riders in the mountain south of the city of San Jose.
Results (brief)
Open Men
1. Todd Wells (USA) 5:27:32
2. Milton Ramos (Hon) 5:38:06
3. Rom Akerson (CRC) 5:41:16
Women
1. Adriana Rojas (CRC) 7:06:09
2. Rebecca Rusch (USA) 7:16:41
3. Louise Kobin (USA) 7:36:48
Full results HERE.