October 23, 2006 (San José, Costa Rica) — The hardest race of the World is about to begin. Racers will arrive to Costa Rica two or three days earlier trying to get set for the challenge.

San José, Costa Rica. — There is no further time”¦ All racers must be prepared at this point. What they didn’t get during the past 12 months, they won’t get it in 10 days.

This is it! The 14th edition of La Ruta de los Conquistadores, in Costa Rica, is less than a week from now and absolutely everyone; competitors, organizers, media and mountain bike fanatics around the world, are just waiting for the start shot.

A 310 foreigners’ field (from 28 different countries) together with a considerable 200 local racers group will face the ultimate challenge starting on November 3, at Jacó, the tourist-surfers’ paradise of Costa Rican Pacific coast.

All the competitors will be reunited at the Official Registration Meeting on Thursday, November 2, at the Best Western Jacó Beach Hotel, where the organizers and the Costa Rican Cycling Federation’s Commissaries will give them the final indications and review the 2006’s race rules.

The latest announcement for this year’s event is about the Doping Controls, which will be part of La Ruta for the first time ever in its history.

Besides, a new rule regarding to the feeding and technical support will be presented to the competitors. This regulation only permits racers’ support nearby the Organization’s Official Check Points, in order to reduce the commented local’s advantage.

“All racers caught by the Judges receiving unauthorized assistance from their team crew without the respective permission, will be sanctioned on time for the General Classification”, Luis Viquez, La Ruta’s Operations Director said.

A full 2006’ race regulations PDF document is available to download at the La Ruta’s Website, www.adventurerace.com, since early October.

As for Elite racers, the local pride will be represented mainly by Federico “Lico” Ramírez (BCR-Pizza Hut-HHS), which is the only man who has won La Ruta three times (1997, 1998 and 2002).

He has been out of the race for the past two editions but he’s back this year and anxious to prove that Costa Rican mountainbikers still have it!

“We are back to win! We know it will be hard but not impossible. We know our country’s paths and trails better than anybody and I’m sure it is what will help us the most”, Albin Brenes, “Lico’s” coach commented last week.

Albin Brenes is Andrés Brenes’ brother; nevertheless, Andrés will support the current La Ruta’s champion, Swiss Thomas Frischknecht (Swisspower-Scott) who will defend his title against the local aspirations.

Thomas and Andrés were teammates at the Ritchey’s Mountain Bike Team, back in the 90’s. Their former boss, and mountain bike pioneer, Tom Ritchey, also appears on the starters list.

“Frischi” knows that Brenes’ assistance will be very important in order to re-conquer the trophy as the competition of this year will be even toughest.

Colombian Leonardo Páez (Full Dynamix) just won the Pan American Championship in Brazil, one week ago; he’s decided to show why he also triumphed at the Union Cycliste Internazionale’s (UCI) Marathon World Cup and why he was second at the Marathon World Championship this season, after Merida-Multivan’s Ralph Naf.

Cannondale’s -Hall of Fame member- David “Tinker” Juarez, Volkswagen-Trek’s Jeremiah Bishop, Giant’s Adam Craig, Rocky Mountain’s Andreas Hestler, Independent’s Harlan Price and Olympia’s Italian Marzio Deho are respectable candidates as well and they will fight to win a place for the podium ceremony on November 5, when the race finishes at Playa Bonita (Bonita Beach), two kilometers east from the Costa Rican Caribbean main-port of Limón.

More info at www.adventurerace.com