May 7, 2007 (San Jos̩, Costa Rica) РThe organization of La Ruta de los Conquistadores presented its new course today with the innovation of a fourth stage added to the challenge, to be held November 14-17, 2007.

This year’s event means the 15th Anniversary of the most important mountain bike race in Latin America; therefore, the organizers have planned a very special celebration with a new course, more excitement and fun for the field of participants.

“We included a new stage for the second day, which will link the finish venue of day 1 with the start venue of day 3. Now, we will certainly cross Costa Rica from coast to coast in 4 days,” said La Ruta’s Race Director Luis Viquez to local media during a press conference in San José this morning.

Race founder Roman Urbina, designed also the new course. Participants will need between six and nine hours to complete it.

Here’s a quick review of each stage:

Day 1 will be practically the same as 2006’s competition. It will depart from the Best Western Jacó Beach Hotel, at the Pacific Coast, and will finish 96 Km after at El Rodeo horse farm, 20 km West from Costa Rica’s capital city, San José.

Day 2 the new segment, will begins at El Rodeo and will trace an amazing course (72.2 Km.) with spectacular views over the mountains around the Central Valley before finishing at TerraMall Shopping Center, 15 Km. East from San José.

The third and fourth stage courses won’t present any changes.

Day 3 (66.7 km) commencing at TerraMall, will take Pro racers and MTB enthusiasts to a 30km ascent up to the highest point of the whole event, the Irazú Volcano (3,010 meters above sea level). Then they will get to “El Tapojo” downhill to Turrialba Volcano first and to the coffee town of Aquiares finally.

Day 4, the final course (120 Km) will start at Aquiares and will close the event at the Caribbean beach of “Playa Bonita,” on Saturday, November 17. This course will include the famous train-tracks and bridges section.

La Ruta de los Conquistadores will have a total length of 356 kms and more than 11.500 meters of accumulated ascent, retracing the path of the Spanish Conquistador across Costa Rica’s biodiversity, its many forests and nine of its 12 different microclimates.

La Ruta 2007 is for all kinds of mountainbikers

Attending recommendation of pro racers and amateur participants, the organization has established some changes for the first day’s course in order to fit the event to its new format.

“We realized that the first day had to change a little bit according to the new situation!,” Luis Viquez expressed after he and the rest of the crew presented the new course.

The last muddy climb of the first day route (known as “La Pita”) has been taken out of the map and a pavement ascent was defined instead.

If for any reason this main-way cannot be used for the race, a “B” option has been established over an old almost-flat gravel trail which connects Check Point 3 (at San Pedro de Turrubares) and the finish venue.

Nevertheless, the most attractive, traditional and demanding section of this stage -the Carara National Park Jungle- remains intact, so the challenge still granted.

“We wanted to make an event for any sort of people, not only for the most prestigious Pro racer, but for the important group of local and non-local amateur enthusiasts that are interested on coming to Costa Rica and make La Ruta as a ride, as a funny opportunity to know our beautiful country, riding their mountain bikes and facing their own conditions∑ their own humanity,” PR Manager Luis Rueda added.

For more information, maps, course profiles and further details, please visit
www.adventurerace.com