The Mountain Bike Hall of Fame - Hall of Fame Nominees

Please accept the attached nomination for Roman Urbina for consideration into the 2010 Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in the Promotion category. Kindest regards,
David Tinker Juarez

Román Urbina

Creator of La Ruta de los Conquistadores - Costa Rica

Countless athletes today can tell their story of courage and strength going through what is known today as “La Ruta”. These stories all go back to what started as an adventure for Roman Urbina who, almost two decades ago, decided to cross Costa Rica, coast to coast on a bike.

Urbina has been an active part of the mountain bike world for over 23 years. His role as a competitor and promoter of events in Costa Rica has made him a pioneer in this sport.

The most important landmark of his career has been the creation of La Ruta de los Conquistadores, a mountain bike race inspired by the journeys of Spanish explorer Juan de Cavallón through the mountains of Costa Rica, from the Pacific Coast to the Caribbean.

La Ruta is known to be the world’s most difficult mountain bike multi-day race. In average, a competitor may take 12 hours daily for 4 days to complete it.
The race covers a 420 kilometer (261 mile) path were riders go through Costa Rica’s rain forests, volcanoes, mountain ranges and rivers. They must also endure tropical weather temperatures that exceed 100 degrees, high levels of humidity and have the proper condition to climb approximately 24,000 vertical feet.
The race has been taking place for 17 years and has attracted more than 7,000 athletes from 35 countries.

Urbina, who describes La Ruta as “your life in four days”, has also competed in the most important races internationally. For instance, was the first Latin American who completed the “24 hours of adrenaline – World Solo 24 hour Championship” in Cadmore, Canada, in 1999.

In Costa Rica, Urbina was the first promoter in organizing an international downhill competition and has sponsored the first national teams competing outside the country.

La Ruta has been a personal and a professional challenge for many, including Urbina himself who even during a period of physical disability remained active in the mountain bike world.

La Ruta has received the recognition from specialized media outlets which visit Costa Rica each year to be part of this world renowned event. This has been thanks to Urbina’s hard work personally promoting the event internationally among reporters and fellow racers and organizers.

Attached to this nomination you may find links to images of Urbina’s career as a racer, a collage made out of media clippings from relevant international magazines, a sample list of internet websites you can visit for videos and articles, a map of the race, and a comment from Roy Wallack.

" La Ruta and its fellow multi-day events have provided the ultimate challenges for thousands of enthusiast mountain bikers-from pros to regular weekend warriors--who want to experience a new level of adventure, excitement,fun, and motivation.

Roman is the rare brilliant, risk-taking visionary who came up with the big idea that, in some way, changed the world.He is the godfather of multiday mountian biking.He was the first guy to take the beauty and potential of the mountain bike to its true adventurous extreme;in fact I´d say that he also forced the bikes themselves to improve as mountain bike-makers had to build stronger, more shock absorbing bikes to withstand the rigors of La Ruta and its likes.

Roman´s big idea has given athletes of all ages the opportunity to take themselves to the limit on the kind of once-in-a-lifetime adventure that makes you feel lucky to be alive. That´s why people do this:They feel completely alive.The earlier pioneers of mountain biking,like Gary Fisher, Charlie Kelly, Joe Breeze,and Mike Sinyard had already tapped into this life-force to riding in the mountains.

Roman was the first person to take their creations and apply them to true expeditionary adventure,which he then packaged and organized in a safe, practical manner.

I have done nearly all the other big multi-day mountain bike stage races. They are all great. But La Ruta is the original and the best. It has added immeasurably to my life and thousands of other mountian bikers.

Roman Urbina , a groundbreaking athlete, visionary, and creator of the multi-day mountain-bike stage race, has brought joy and adventure to thousands of mountain bikers around the world and inspired similar events that tap into the same genius.

Roman epitomizes all the qualities you expect from a Hall of Famer. He belongs alongside Gary Fisher and all the all time greats."

Roy Wallack-Cyclist jourtnalist and co-author of Bike for Life:How to Ride to 100"

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