"Took a look down a westbound road,Right away I made my choiceHeaded out to my big two-wheelerAnd just rolled that power on"...Roll Me Away - Bob SegerI was tired of my own voiceTook a bead in the northern plains
And westbound we
were this past weekend as we headed to Hacienda Guachipelin, host hotel of the
second edition of the only 100 mile race in Costa Rica and probably the only
one in the world to circumnavigate an active volcano; the Rincon de la Vieja
100 Miler Challenge.
The day before a
race is always a stressful one and Friday was no exception. Leaving San Jose
took longer than expected, toll booths, slow cars on the fast lane and some
rain made up our drive. Unfortunately for our teammates, our drive was easy in
comparison to theirs. They got stuck behind a convoy of trucks hauling huge
blades and other parts for gigantic wind turbines. I remember seeing them
parked on the side of the road, however minutes later they got on the highway
and kept a steady 20KPH pace while our teammates and several other cars waited
anxiously an opportunity to pass.
Once at the
venue, I picked up my packet with a number three plate. Adding some unneeded
pressure since that was my result the previous year. A quick look at the
starting line revealed that the talent pool had risen this year and all we could
do was wait until the next morning to see how things would go.
If making any
changes to your bike set up on the days leading up to race is a big no-no,
where does switching to new bike fall? I made an exception this time, mainly
because I have a lot of trust on our team mechanic Juan Onetto, who has been
working on my bikes for a couple of years now. Team CoreCo set me up with
probably the most competitive bike in the field for this race, a Niner One9 RDO,
1x11 transmission, carbon wheels and all. Although I only had ridden it once
before the race, the geometry variations from my previous Air9 RDO were minimal
and with Juan taking into account the must minute details, he replicated almost
the exact same riding position. Except for tires, we left those for last and ended up
doing a late night run up to the gas station across the street from our hotel
to use their high power compressor to seat the tires I had chosen for the race.
Geax Saguaros 2.2 Folding in case anyone wondered.
After going to
bed later than expected, the 3:15 am wake-up call was brutal. Add to that the
fact that our waitress took almost 20 minutes to get us coffee, one of our
rooms got locked with the keys inside and this race morning isn’t up to a good
start. Thankfully we got some coffee and food on us, kitted up and headed to
the start which was a 30 min drive away.
 |
| Pre-dawn start line check-in. |
Once at the
start line, at least for me, all the stress melts away. Signed the check-in
board and casually wiggled my way to the front of the line. Having a single
digit plate and the number three on it helped. 5:30 am came and went and we
were still on the same place. Not all of the riders had checked-in yet and the
path right off the start wasn’t clear of vehicles yet. Eventually, a few
minutes before 6 am we rolled off behind a pair of four-wheelers.
The pace was
keep awfully slow this time. I agree that the previous year it was too fast and
there were some crashes just off the start, but today the pace was too slow. My
hands were getting numb just holding onto the brakes for so long. Thankfully we
made it to Curubande where the quads sped up and the green flag was waived. We
quickly got into a single file with last year’s runner up Deiber Esquivel’s
team Scotiabank setting the pace.
Those initial
minutes are key. You make a quick analysis of your overall feel, how the legs
are responding, are you breathing faster than normal, what’s the energy level
and this often defines how you would feel during a good portion of the race. In
my case “My hands were steady, my eyes were clear and bright, my –ride- had purpose,
my – pedal strokes- quick and light…like a rock”!
Scotiabank’s
time at the front didn’t last long. There were the team with the most riders
but Jose Montoya, their initial pace setter flatted on the first creek
crossing. So soon into the race that we slowed down and looked at each other.
None of the other teams wanted to be on the bad side of the largest team in the
race, so we continued riding, but at casual coffee-ride place. This caused the
entire field to catch up to us until a Master rider took the initiative and
drove the pace. 2013 La Ruta winner, Marconi Duran and I wasted no time to get
on his wheel with Deiber in tow. Hey, we were not pulling! Eventually the
master rider faded and Deiber’s teammate hadn’t rejoined. In fact to our
surprise he had lost his other teammate due to a mechanical too. At that point, Paolo Montoya (Specialized) came near the front and the casual ride ended. Marconi, Paolo and
I traded pulls at the front while Deiber sat on waiting for his teammates. The
short, steep climbs leading up to PC1 reduced the number of riders on our group
until there were just six of us. Paolo had two teammates, Alexander Sanchez and
Ivan Amador who was racing masters. Marconi, Deiber and I were on our own, so
we all did one last turn at the front and waited for Paolo’s team to take the
lead.
 |
| Lead Group early on the race. Foto Courtesy of Andres from LeadAdventure Media |
Shortly before
PC1, so less than 30 KMs into the race, Alex went to the front and set a nice,
steady pace for the next 56 KMs or so. It was the longest pull I’ve seen anyone
do. Only interrupted by our quick stops at aid stations 2 where Juan lubed my
chain and got me fresh bottles and PC3, or the re-lube stop after one of the many
river crossing and the much needed “nature break”. He was inspired and doing an
awesome job for his team leader.
One of the
crucial moments of my race came somewhere, between PC2 and PC3. We had crossed
a few bridges already; a light rain had been keeping us cool for about an hour
when we got to this old, rickety, twisted looking bridge. The boards were
warped and wet and stood about 8-10 feet above the river. Somehow, at that
moment I was the last wheel on our sextet and although all five riders in front
of me crossed the bridge without problems, right on the middle of it, my tires
just disappeared from under me. The next moment I am lying on the wet boards
and my bike is sliding towards the side. I tried getting up but my shoes had no traction, I fell again and this time I barely managed to grab the rear wheel
before the bike plunged onto the river. I had to crawl to get to the other side
and remount my bike. This happened to the complete oblivion of my race mates. I
tried not to panic and quickly rejoined the group. However the effort required
took a toll on me and I arrived at PC3 looking like I was entering the pain
cave.
Will and Liam
did a great job of getting me back on course topped off on liquids and food,
which was needed because we were on the 10KM ascent to the KOM point. If
someone had asked, I wouldn’t have hesitated about letting Alexander Sanchez
take the KOM, however with $500 on the line and the fact that Deiber’s teammate
Moises Hernandez had recently caught up to us, an uphill sprint was ensured.
Paolo took the money easily with Deiber and Moises a few bike lengths behind
and I a little further back in fourth. But as soon as Paolo noticed that a gap
had opened up, he floored once again and the four of us were chasing him hard
for the next few minutes. We caught him at the entrance to the singletrack,
helped in part by a photographer on a motorcycle that blocked Paolo’s left turn
into the only technical section of the course. On the last rocky descent, he
attacked once again and although we chased him for a few minutes, we wouldn’t
see him again until the finish line.
Moises and
Deiber decided to play their cards having the numbers advantage. Moises
attacked first, Marconi and I brought him back but the effort proved to be a
little too much for me and I started to crumble on a short pavement climb.
Moises was hurting too and got gapped on this climb. Deiber and Marconi decided
that the three of us had a better chance of catching Paolo, so they allowed me
to get back on their wheel. I skipped a turn at the front to recover but with a
strong tail wind and a gradual downhill, I was back helping in no time.
Surprisingly Ivan Amador had also made our group but wouldn’t collaborate for
obvious reasons. A few kilometers later Marconi would miss a turn, then another
one later until Deiber and I ended up pulling away from our non-working
partners. We gave it all we had. A little too much, I guess. We were so focused
on chasing Paolo or at least to create some separation, that we ended up
missing a turn off from the road. We rode off-course for almost 2 KMs until the
race official caught up to us on their quad. We were disappointed but still
bursting with adrenaline. We made a U turn and headed up hill into the worst
head wind we had had all day. It took our hardest effort to barely push 17 KPH
back to the course. Up ahead Moises had also missed the turn off and we caught
up to him right before getting back onto the race route. The three of us
entered the Liberia Canyon together. This is easily the most dreaded part of
the race and the most challenging too. Coming into it with a lack of motivation
and after going deep into our reserves took a big toll on me. I had to let the
Scotiabank duo ride away while I contended with my own demons. The heat became
a factor and no matter which direction I went, I kept “running against the
wind.” “I found myself seeking shelter against the wind” and found none. Forgetting
to hydrate and eat while trying to get back onto the course also made the
crossing of the canyon very miserable.
 |
| Liberia Canyon. Looks easier than on race day. Photo from LeadAdventure |
I arrived at PC5
and didn’t even notice our support crew wasn’t there. I was offered a Coke,
which I chugged while some one refilled my two bottles. They asked me something
but I don’t think I responded. A few minutes after I got back on my bike, I
realized they were asking if I wanted water in one bottle and some kind of
sports drink on the other. Due to my lack of response, I got just water. I got
some fluids and calories on me, as the kilometers slowly ticked by. I was
expecting to get passed by someone anytime. I didn’t think anyone was riding
slower than me, until I saw Marconi up ahead. He had not gone of course but now
he was hurting bad. He made me look fast and although I offered some
encouragement and food he was bonking and wanted none of it.
I kept going, my
motivation was coming back up and the white limestone road, mostly pointing
down was and welcomed sight. Suddenly a steep hill comes into view. I went all
the way to the biggest cog of my cassette and slowly worked my way up. A by stander
poured some water on my back, which I was really thankful for.
The math game
started right around this point. I am looking at my Garmin and it’s telling me
that I have 35 KMs to go. Knowing that PC6 it’s at 20 to go, it takes all my
working brain cells a few seconds to realize I have 15 to go before the aid
station. I am running low on water so I tried to conserve some for the next few
kilometers. Less than 5 KMs later I see a course marshal and the place looks
similar to where the last aid station was last year. I make a right turn and
off at the distance I spot the cars, easy-up and people sticking their heads
out, trying to figure who is the rider coming in. I’ve made into PC6 and for
the first time in my life I am so thankful my Garmin distance is way off.
Will and Liam
get me ready for the home stretch, but the math games continue. If there are
20KMs to go and I am keeping a steady 15KPH pace, how long would it take me to
finish? The answer takes time to come up and by then I am onto the sandy and
bumpy private ranch road and my speed is only 10KPH. I concentrate on just
getting out of the ranch section. The short, punchy climbs and the loose sand
sections make different muscles groups twitch. I am a bad pedal stroke away
from cramping up. I know that once out of the ranch the road is still going up,
but at a steady grade. I look down and I see my race time is 6 hours 30 minutes.
If I ride the next 10 KMs at 20 KPH I could finish under 7 hrs. Yeah, right! I
get out of the ranch and I am not riding at 20, in fact I am barely doing 15.
 |
| 5K to go. It felt as hot as it looks. |
Ok, I decide to
refocus my goal. I did 7:13 last year, I am just going to try and beat that. By
that point I am getting to the host hotel, but I still have a 5Ks to go. I see
Norma up ahead. My neck already hurts from looking back expecting to see
someone riding up to me. I asked Norma to give me a time check to the next
rider or 5 minutes, whichever happens first. I continue riding on my own.
Chasing the shade on either side of the road. A tour bus coming towards me
forces me to get all the way to the right side on this wide, gravel road; even
though is smooth and shady on the left. They don’t know the kind of pain I am
in. 3Ks to go, 7:13 seems unrealistic, right now I just want to finish.
 |
| Finally over the finish line. Foto from Taty of Grupo Sports Innovations |
Norma catches up
to me, says that no one is chasing within 6 minutes and that she’ll have a cold
beer waiting. I get one last shot of motivation; pass under the 1K banner at
7:09. This is the longest kilometer ever. The last part of the hill gets even
steeper. I jump off the saddle, power up the last few meters, make the left
turn onto the timing mats and I am in. 5th overall, 4th
in the elite field and 7:13 again. Forget the seconds, they don’t count today.
 |
| Man and the machine, done for the day! |
 |
| Top 5 Podium. |
Tired, dirty,
hungry, proud, thirsty, emotional…all those feelings are conjured into one
after crossing the finish line.
 |
| Team CoreCo representing at the RDLV |
A few minutes
later my teammate, Pedro Arias crossed the line. Second in the masters A
category. Later on, our riders on their sweet Borealis bikes sweep the Fat Bike
category. It was a great day all around for Team CoreCo.
 |
| Under 9 hour belt buckle. |
Thanks to our excelent support crew (Will, Liam, Juan and Norma) for taking care of us before, during and after the race. To the entire Team CoreCo for all the support and positive vibes and everyone that cheered us on at the race or virtually.
Jeff
