Costa Rica's weather is a constant foe. And Saturday, racers faced the opposite end of the weather spectrum than they had on Friday's Race Day 1, which saw a number of riders hospitalized with heat stroke and dehydration. Saturday, hypothermia set in. Temperatures hovered around 45° and a mist persisted throughout the day. One rider, whose face was literally blue, commented, "It was raw...I'm chilled to the bone. I felt like I was in Portland, Maine, in February, not f@&*$%g Costa Rica! This race is insane."

Race Day 2 might be the shortest in mileage of the three stages, but it pits riders against the Volcano Irazu. The climbing seems unending, with Irazu standing at over 11,000 feet, conditions there are typically cold and wet. The first climb racers face is known by many as "the dirt wall" - an old washed out cow path that is a challenge just to walk up even with full hiking gear.

The front pack of riders appeared tireless at the 5:30 a.m. start. Riding at a sprinter's speed through the city streets, the US's Tinker Juarez maintained his position as the race leader. Tinker's dominance continued as he rode hard up "the dirt wall," leading past the first two check points. Tinker's seemed to be effortlessly repeating his heroics of Day 1. But it was still early, and this is La Ruta - a race in which locals don't like to lose on national television!

While the race Friday wreaked havoc on racers' physical and mental states, today it abused their equipment. La Ruta Director Roman Urbina warned repeatedly in his pre-race speech of the dire downhill on Volcano Irazu and the need to bring extra brake pads. Unfortunately for some those words were not heeded, as scores of riders were forced to take direction from Fred Flintstone and, once pads wore to metal, use their feet as brakes. Mechanical problems have forced many out of La Ruta 2001, including American hopeful Rishi Grewal.

A remarkable story focuses on U.S. rider Brett Wolfe. Although not one of the top finishers, Brett posted extremely respectable times. Amazingly, Wolfe is competing with just one leg. "I was watching from the bottom of a huge steep climb where all the racers were pushing their bikes up the mountain. Then this guy comes along and just flew by everyone, cranking up the incredible incline with ease. He's an inspiration," stated Roman Urbina.

Tinker held his place at the front with three-quarters of the climb behind him, then the team tactics took over. Two Costa Rican riders with Team Pizza Hut attacked with 20 kilometers to the summit. Working together they were able to pull each other to the 11,000-foot summit with a healthy cushion between them and all the other racers as they began their descent.

Tiny shards of ash-like slivers of glass became imbedded in the cuts covering racers' legs. As if the 45° weather wasn't enough to contend with, heavy wet volcano ash covered riders from head to toe. The sweat-soaked riding clothes froze at the start of the downhill, causing several riders to suffer from uncontrollable shaking fits. The terrain was no kinder. Fingers and forearms burned with intense pain, as the technical rocky and slippery-wet path demanded more focus than most cared to have at that time.

"I just wanted to go up again at one point. You just want it to be over so badly you open it up and let it fly, then find yourself at 40 mph and in danger of kissing a boulder," said racer Jeremy Neil.

Heavy rains washed out much of the downhill course. Massive, deep gullies were so large they proved impassable for race officials on ATVs, and forced riders to carry their bikes. The conditions made it nearly impossible for racers like Juarez to catch the breakaway pair from Team Pizza Hut. Then, near the finish, Tinker crashed. In the aftermath, a third local rider was able to pass Tinker, finishing just seven seconds ahead. With the help of his teammate, Jose Adrian Bonilla, Team Pizza Hut took over first place position. Now, with one stage left, Tinker sits 15.5 minutes behind.

In a visit to the bedside of a local hospital, we spoke to Ethan Field of New York City. Ethan, like a number of others, was forced out of the race after finishing the first stage. Suffering from exhaustion, heat stroke and dehydration, Ethan was rushed to a local hospital and immediately given an IV. "That might have been the hardest thing I ever encountered.

"I trained for six months for La Ruta, and it still wasn't enough. Regular 100-mile training rides in the mountains of Vermont still didn't prepare me for how tough Day One was. At one point, I was praying for the sweep truck to come and save me from the hell I was in. With that being said, Costa Rica is the most beautiful place I've ever been. The people here are amazing. They've all been so caring, concerned and helpful." We asked Ethan if he would come back and tempt his fate next year given all that he's been through, "I think I will," he said with a smile.

— Courtesy, Back to the Earth Group