When I was in Jaco last week, the town was gearing up for an intense coast-to-coast bike across Costa Rica’s rugged terrain known to all as La Ruta de los Conquistadores. To date, more than one decade later, “La Ruta” is considered to be the most difficult Mountain Bike multi-day race on the planet.
However, this Costa Rica’s coast-to-coast bike race which is suppose to begin in Jacó Wednesday, now may not start. For some reason, it appears the the national bicycle federation has pulled its approval of the race even as foreign racers were getting off planes. Organizers said they expect 200 participants.
This now 3-day event (it used to be four-day event) that takes bikers to Limón with overnight stops in Santa Ana and Turrialba is under threat of being terminated.
The Federación Costarricense de Ciclismo made a last-minute decision to pull its approval of the race and to threaten fines and penalties against any licensed Costa Rican bike racer who participates. The federation also said it was considering unspecified criminal action.
Editors Note: What in the hell is unspecified criminal action for a race that has been going on now for years. And why would you stop something that helps bring in the bucks to a struggling economy.
When the federation approved the race last week, it said that all Costa Rican participants had to be licensed by it and that any foreign participants had to be licensed by their country’s biking organization.
Apparently organizers of La Ruta, sent a message to the federation questioning why they need approval for the race. This is the 17th edition of the race.
The board of directors of the federation received the message Sunday and decided to stand its ground. The federation threatened fines of from $45 to $90 if any of its licensed racers participated. In a way you say they are trying to boycott the race.
Many of the foreign racers who participate have no formal relationship with biking organizations in their home country. The race HAS always been open to all, including recreational bikers.
However, here is the catch, Costa Rican racers HAVE to pay $50 a year to the federation for a license that allows them to participate in what they call sanctioned races, or races that they do not have control of. In other words, they do not get a piece of the action.
Meanwhile, La Ruta said that some 17 foreign racers already have arrived, with more arriving today. The federation is trying to block the race AND is was sending notification of its position to a number of government agencies, including the Tránsito authorities.
Now what is weird about this, both (La Ruta and FECOCI) has made no mention of this fining of bikers on their Websites. Obviously there is some sort of power struggle going on, or just the need to divide the bucks.
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