Thousands of pilgrims climb each year to Monserrate, one of the hills of Bogotá, an ascent of more than a thousand steps that this Saturday became the longest downhill in the world, in a dizzying race in which the French Adrien Loron beat the descent in just 4 minutes and 31 seconds.
Without an audience due to the coronavirus, the ten finalists of six nationalities of the “Monserrate Cerro Abajo 2021” took their bicycles to descend this 2.4-kilometer route, which in addition to the steps has 27 obstacles at key points.
Also read: Surprise in Millionaires: MatÃas de los Santos, very close to Argentine football
“It was great, we had perfect weather and the track was super well prepared,” said the Frenchman, who finished fourth in this same race in 2019, after winning the podium with which he surpassed the 4 minutes and 42 seconds recorded by the Czech. Tomas Slavik in the latest issue.
Behind him were the Colombian Enduro champion Jhonny Betancurt, with 4:32, who was the best in the qualifying round, and the Ecuadorian Rafael Gutiérrez, with 4:35, who was second in the 2019 race.
Most of the route is made up of the irregular stone steps that make up the climb to Monserrate, at 3,150 meters above sea level, a path of more than an hour that many penitents do on their knees or barefoot to visit the Fallen Lord, and that this year, due to covid-19, It has been closed for several weeks.
“I think it will be a great challenge for everyone, first because we are at altitude in Bogotá and it feels like; second because we are 21 runners from different countries of super good level, and third because it is the longest urban race in the world, which is a challenge for everyone, “Chilean Pedro Burns, who at 23, is among the 20 best Enduro riders in the world, confided to Efe before the race and was seventh today.
Of interest: Junior suffered more than necessary, but beat Alianza Petrolera in Barranquilla
The meandering route includes very sharp curves, marked by the walled railing of this iconic Bogota site, and artificial obstacles that go from “simple” jumps of one and a half meters to a dry waterfall of five meters, to finish overcoming the “turnstile jump “, seven meters high, which gave way to the final” sprint “.
“It’s a bit scary, obviously with adrenaline, but that’s what makes this sport so beautiful,” said the Chilean Burns, before a journey that two teammates could not finish due to falls and problems.
Argentine Jerónimo Páez’s rear wheel came off on the first flight of stairs, twenty seconds after starting, and the first runner, the Colombian David Jaramillo, was left out of the competition after suffering a fall in the middle of the journey, which did not cause any damage.
“We are not so used to urban races, because there are not many that are done, but they are quite important and they are a challenge for everyone”, explained Burns, who was happy to compete, in a year in which many of the races have been canceled due to the pandemic.
Previously, this Saturday 21 riders, chosen by the organizer Red Bull among “the future promises of the discipline”, tried to qualify for the grand final. All of them men, although the organization assured that the competition “is not closed to men”, and that they have tried to invite a runner.
The trail was closed yesterday to prepare it for the competition, and Red Bull assures that they will leave the place “better than they received it” so that Monserrate can return to welcome pilgrims and tourists without noticing any change.