La Ruta de los Conquistadores
Ben Sonntag Conquers La Ruta 2010
News Release / 22.11.2010
The fourth and decisive stage started at 7:00 a.m. in the small town of Turrialba. The bikers rode through diverse terrain including banana and pineapple plantations, rivers, and muddy trails. The racers had to carry their bikes as they ran over shaky railroad bridges that hover over the world-class whitewater Pacuare and Reventazón Rivers.
A pack of 11 bikers broke away to the front as the riders left Turrialba. Sam Schultz pushed ahead of the lead pack when the riders climbed to the top of La Alegría, a now infamous and steep four-kilometer gravel hill that leads to an outstanding view of the Caribbean lowlands. Schultz waited for the lead pack to have company as he crossed the first rickety railroad bridge. At this point, the lead group was reduced to 9 riders including Lico Ramírez, Ben Sonntag, Alex Grant, Luis Leão, Milton Ramos, Alexander Sánchez, Ismael Ventura, Eddy Perez, and Thomas Turner.
Ramos, Pinto, Sonntag, Ramírez, Grant, Sánchez and Schultz crossed the bridge above the Matina River together, with eyes fixed on the railroad tracks, where a miscalculated step would result in a freefall to the river below.
Once the racers reached the coast they rode south parallel to the Caribbean coast. The route extends dozens of kilometers north of Limón, the final destination of the race.
Luis Leão Pinto and Milton Ramos managed to break away from the lead pack towards the end of the race. They rode head-to-head working for a stage win that was settled in the last hundred meters. Leão Pinto won the stage, followed closely by Milton Ramos. Lico Ramirez came in third followed by Ismael Ventura, Ben Sonntag, and Alex Grant.
Pinto, a cancer survivor, displayed a great combination of leg power, personal integrity, and courage the last leg of the race.
Sam Schulz from the USA said luck was not on his side this year and in a race like this everything needs to come together to stay in the lead. Schultz rode with the lead pack for stretches of time, but five flat tyres throughout the race slowed him down. Even though Schultz experienced some mishaps he still had a smile on his face. As he was fixing his third flat tyre a rider asked how he’s doing. He looked up with a grin and said “How can I have a bad time in such a beautiful place!�. At that time Schultz was passing through the stunning scenery around the Irazu and Turrialba Volcanoes. After dropping from the lead Shultz said he “went into La Ruta mode� and had a great time.
Ben Sonntag from Germany won La Ruta for the first time this year. He expressed feeling very happy about the win and said “Luck was on my side this year. I am happy I felt strong today.�
Sonntag said he struggled on the third day and his teammate Alex Grant helped him out. Sonntag said he and Grant worked well as a team, and supporting each other in such a long and challenging race made a big difference. Sonntag rides with the Cannondale factory team and he is the third international racer in 18 years to win La Ruta de los Conquistadores. This is Sonntag's first staged race win.
Sonntag said, “Lico is a legend, he did not have much luck this year on the stages. Winning La Ruta means a lot to me because I raced along his side."
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