The seventh Guanaride (www.guanaride.com) edition took place between the 24th and 28th June. This is a five stage endurance race, which is gaining international recognition for its state of the art organization and beautiful single tracks through the rain forest and pristine Pacific beaches.
With the constant support from Suunto Oy, Giant Europe and Sram,Rock Shox,Avid,Truvativ as my main sponsors, I participate in this race since 2006. Last year, I become Guanaride's ambassador in Europe, recognition which I happily accepted due to the social responsibility the race organizers have shown. Since the very first edition, Guanaride has been committed to give back to the community by either providing funding to conservation projects or helping those who needed the most.
When World Bicycle Relief (www.worldbicyclerelief.org) suggested twelve months ago that I contact Hans Rey from www.wheels4life.org to organize bike donations in Costa Rica, I did not hesitate for a second. The idea to empower the community that lives by the race track felt me with joy. Most of my happy moments during each stage are when all those kids from the schools surrounding the race course cheer up, help and encourage the race participants with big smile on their faces. Most of those kids, do not have a bike. Most of those kids, have to walk to go to school. Still, while we were simply having fun on our bikes, they felt us with energy to continue pedaling.
Thanks to Hans Rey great support, this year fifteen students from twelve schools received new bicycles as well as new helmets and reflective t-shirts that helped them to ride their new bikes safely (safety items donated by www.aconvivir.org). All these schools are located close by Guanaride 400 km course.
Year by year, the course has been improved and more new loops are being included to each stage. My Suunto X10 helps me to keep the tracks updated on Google Earth. This gps counts with several advantages over its predecessors. With superior battery life, extended memory capacity and state of the art satellite connection Suunto X10 is a 'must have' for any outdoor enthusiast while riding a bike, hiking, sailing or simply traveling around the world!
For those interested in checking out the race logs, please visit www.suuntosports.com and search for the latest travel reports.
