La Ruta de los Conquistadores
Will Ramirez Win Again?
15.11.2007
Almost two years has passed since local has won a stage of La Ruta de los Conquistadores mountain bike race in Costa Rica. The last stage winner was Marvin Campos, who won the second day of the 2005 edition. But this Wednesday, Federico “Licoâ€? RamÃrez (BCR-Pizza Hut) tasted victory again and now he’s the most serious candidate to take the 15th Anniversary’s title.
RamÃrez finished in a time of 5:12:36, after completing the 97 kilometers of this year’s first stage. The race began at the Best Western Jacó Beach hotel, in the Pacific zone of Costa Rica, and concluded at the El Rodeo horse-farm in the West-Central Valley.
Another Costa Rican rider, Paolo Montoya (Mancosta Lee Cougan) was 7:25 behind him, while the XCM World Cup Champion Thomas Diestch (Gewiss-Bianchi) arrived in third place, with a time-gap of 13:44.
“I’m happy for me and my sponsors. I know the courage and good condition of Paolo and Thomas, but I used my strategy to win. I feel proud because I understand how important is to have a local winner again, after so much time�, Federico stated just before he was given the Economy Rent a Car’s yellow jersey of the leader.
That strategy was what made Thomas Dietsch lag behind just after the first climb at the Bijagual Village. “They attacked several times and I couldn’t stay with them. This race is really hard, above all because of the weather conditions, the terrain, the mud and, of course, the good rivals�, Dietsch explained.
Federico RamÃrez has won La Ruta three times, in 1997, 1998 and 2002 so this could be his fourth crown. This is an important fact, taking into account that last two editions have been taken by non-local riders: Thomas Frischknecht (2005) and Leonardo Páez (2006).
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