Biking MTB Racecources in Central America
It is important to learn the local situation before going for the Central America’s mountain bike race, because this will be helpful. This particular required us to collect many a adrenalin-rushing accounts from El Reto.
One of the most popular forms of mountain bike racing these days is something called El Reto. El Reto was established in the year 2007 and derives it’s name from Guatemala’s national bird, the quetzal. This is a fitting comparison. Riders glide across sharp 30 degree slopes, climbing to an elevation of 10,000′. Perceptive maneuvering is required when downhilling on narrow, winding mountain roads, in order to avoid a wreck with oncoming traffic.
The 3-day El Reto event is rich in history, with a course used by Mayans for hundreds of years. This race has more single-track mileage than other epics. This 145-mile race begins in Antigua and terminates at Retalhuleu. Either the two-person teams check in at three points each day within five minutes of each rider, or they end up with a 60-minute penalty. After the conclusion of the race, accumulated times are added for a determination of final results.
Greg Bruce and Scott Seaton, from Oregon, the 2008 El Reto second-place winners share their adventure ‘ If you are from North America or Europe this is a “must read” to prepare you for the Central American MTB races.’ Scott remarked that the miles are long yet they aren’t too rough. It is the difference between racing and survival.
Pro world champion Susan Haywood, who rides for Trek/Volkswagen and who was one of the main features in one of our previous articles, says that La Ruta is a more difficult race than El Reto, thanks to more hills and stiffer competition. El Rito, which didn’t have much in the way of single track, was a little easier than some American races like the Breck Epic and Pisgah MTB Stage Race.
Sharing his vivid El Reto stories and images, Jason Hilimire another pro biker, writes : On Day 1 ‘ After the long lunch, it was back to the room for an hour of naptime and then right back to the restaurant to eat a second lunch.’We were so hungry we scarcely noticed the first. Thanks to our second lunch, we had even more incentive to rest up so that at the dinner buffet, we could feast on anything and everything that would fill us to the gills.
Stage race, ride, mealtime, bedtime, mealtime, bedtime, mealtime, bedtime. What could possibly be better than that? Don’t you be fooled by this. Jason reports that the previous day’s efforts left him feeling pretty “hosed,” and that he anticipated that the second day “was looking to be another epic day.” It may have been short in stature, but it had enough vertical to take us up more than 9500 feet.
For more cool stories and vistas
For those looking for different options for their first-time Central American MTB action, the more manageable 18K, 28K and 42K off-road series of the San Juan Howler are a good choice.
Here’s to the adventure racer and graphics designer Ligia Madrigal. She is this year’s Costa Rican National Women’s champion. Enjoy life, train hard, never stop riding, keep smiling, sacrifice as much as you can. In short, do whatever you must to be nothing but the best, but avoid drugs!~ for other choices in considering travel in Central America.
Author: Uncover the mountain bike vacations that whereintheworldareyou.com and Sunamita Lim uncovered in Central America! You could only wish for such an extra-ordinary region for mountain biking. Click on MTB action now to discover this unique region.
