October 31, 2006 – La Ruta de los Conquistadores is on from November 3-5. So why haven’t I done this race before I ask myself as this famous race pops up again on my “˜race calendar radar’? Three days of racing – 97 kms, 67 kms, 120 kms – all sounds good to me.

Ok, I’m being dragged kicking and screaming down to a tropical country to ride from one coast to the other over an historic route some crazy Spaniards pioneered – again it all sounds good to me.

I kick back in my chair and ponder the pros and cons. Let’s start with the pros. It’s in an exotic country, it’s up my alley for race style and they have invited me for three years running, hmmm.

What about the cons? I’ve seen the swamps and clay-like mud and I can do without them. It’s at the end of another long race season, I’m tired and unmotivated. I may have to get a hepatitis shot, malaria pills or some other strange, funky, stuff put into my body – creepy.

Picture the scales weighing back and forth – ummm, ugh, and then – “what the hell, lets go!”

Now that I’ve decided to go I have to get serious, or must I? The stages are epic enough that I’m scared. Eventhough I am one tough hombre, with three TransRockies wins under my belt, going to an event of this nature is serious stuff.

So I train, and the weather gets bad, and I do cyclo-cross and I realize that won’t help me in a 5-hour race, so I start worrying and decide to practice my Spanish – ” Hola Seniorita, otra cerveza por favor”. Now I know I am ready. Truly there is only so much one can ask of oneself.

Finally my professionalism wins through”¦ La Ruta has been won only once by a non-native – Thomas Frischknecht (the legend) won last year. I believe winning would be a stretch, but doing well in the GC and bragging about a stage win should be possible.

Wish me luck and check back for updates.

ps. Q. Will I be an honorary conquistadores if I finish, because last year I became an honorary Samurai.

A. I will find the answer in Costa Rica, stay tuned.
(future story, when did Andreas find time to become a Samurai?)





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