THE EPIC CHALLENGER: MTB racing + MTB Tour
This multi day challenge will give you the chance to compete in the best multistage MTB race in Colombia: Andes Epic as well as getting to explore the surrounding trails and attractions on and off your bike in an incredible experience that you will not forget.
Colombia is one of the world’s most amazing yet unknown destinations for nature and adventure sports. It was recently nominated as the second best country to visit in 2017. The combination of nature and people makes for a great biking destination and breeding ground to world class cyclists that are on the top 10 of almost every famous race. You will get the chance to live the best of both worlds in this adventure of Endurance MTB racing + MTB Tour.
In colonial times many adventurers were drawn to find the mythical legend of “El Dorado” not knowing that the real treasure was always in the nature around them. Now it’s your chance to discover this and fight for the glory of finishing against other challengers in “Andes Epic, in search of El Dorado”. We will pick you up with your bike, include the race entry, a good accomodation, meals and tips for the race and help you through the challenge with a dedicated race concierge.
Check out this video for a summary of this year’s action:
In conclusion, this trip gives you a personalized and exclusive experience of a private group ride mixed with the emotion of racing with hundreds, all for less than what some well known races charge around the world.
Take the challenge and let us give you an experience to remember. Just pre register for free so we can get in touch, make a deposit to ensure you place in advance or book the whole trip below.
KEY POINTS
XC Marathon
Physical Level
7 / 9
Technical Level:
5 / 9
Group Size:
Minimum 4
Máximum 28
DATES AND PRICES
Dates:
May 31 – June 3 (4 days)
May 31 – June 5 (6 days)
Price (all included):
USD 959 (4 days race)
USD 1299 (6 days race + tour)
Deposit:
USD 99
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Transportation/Support Vehicle for you and your bike during the trip for transfers between towns.
- Route design and logistics (3 or 4) days riding)
- Professionally trained guides and mechanic
- Andes Epic Race entry fee and race kit
- MTB Jersey, Socks and Hammer energy gels.
- 3 Nights Shared Accomodation in local hotels of Barbosa, Santander (3-4 stars). + 2 nights in Villa de Leyva
- Half Day tour in the beautiful town of Villa de Leyva and it’s surroundings.
- Breakfast and Lunch everyday.
- Sport hydration and snacks in each ride.
- Recovery Protein shake after each race stage.
- Airport/Hotel shuttle the first and last day.
- Welcome Dinner and Farewell Dinner (for the 5 day race+tour).
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED:
- Alcoholic beverages
- Personal items purchased during the trip
- Optional activities not scheduled
- Gratuities for your guides
- Dinners not specified in the trip so you have the chance to personalize your menu
non-riding partners
You can bring your Non-Riding partner (friends or family) to the tour. We will have activities for them with local guides each day while you are racing. Please contact us for details and pricing: info@bikecolombia.com
ITINERARY
We will pick you and your bike up in the airport or the hotel of your choice in Bogotá. (bike rental is available).
Once the group is assembled we will leave at noon by transport to Barbosa and we will stop on the salt mine cathedral on the way for a tour of this landmark. In Barbosa we will pick up our race kits, enjoy a nice welcome Dinner and have a briefing of the race days ahead.
Andes Epic first stage
Each competitor will take their starting place according to their category. 
This is the first of the 3 stages in this race with the main 100Km course that is a real challenge in terms of endurance but it will reward you with great views, nature, plantations and towns where the locals will come out to greet you.
After the stage, you’ll get a protein shake and a proper meal to recover and relax the muscles in preparation for stage 2.
The logistics during the race will be provided by the race organization. There will be a vehicle from the organization sweeping and providing basic assistance to the Andes Epic international Challenger participants.
The second day is a shorter yet no less hard ride that with steep climbs to the town of Velez, 
a lovely town known for its history and the place for Bocadillo, a guava based sweet that has been the prefered choice to provide energy to most of our cyclists.
After the stage, you’ll get a protein shake, a proper meal and a massage in the hotel to recover and relax the muscles in preparation for stage 2.
The logistics during the race will be provided by the race organization. There will be a vehicle from the organization sweeping and providing basic assistance to the Andes Epic international Challenger participants.
The last day of competition is the chance to give all you’ve got to earn your place in the rankings. 
The course has a good dose of singletrack were the technical skills can make difference. After the race ends with the pricing ceremony, for all categories, we will also hand out a prize for the 3 fastest international riders that have taken the Bike Colombia Package.
The logistics during the race will be provided by the race organization. There will be a vehicle from the organization sweeping and providing basic assistance to the Andes Epic international Challenger participants.
After the stage, you’ll get a protein shake, a proper meal and a massage in the hotel to recover and relax the muscles
At the end of the afternoon, after you have taken a nice shower and the race ceremony is done, we will head with our bikes back to Bogotá or optionally to the town of Villa de Leyva for 2 recommended days of tourism plus a bit of bike riding.
This town is one of the most beautiful examples of colonial architecture and well worth visiting while you’re in Colombia.
We will rest well to recover from the effort of the race and after a nice breakfast in one of the great hotels this town has. We will then take a tour of the town’s history and architecture and hop on a van to visit a few of the nearby attractions. We will be back in town for lunch and have the afternoon free to rest, explore town or take an optional tour to any of the great attractions you wish to visit.
At night we will have our farewell dinner in a great restaurant in town.
The ride today will be around the town surrounding Villa de Leyva with attractions to stop along the way. A scenic ride which will be the perfect way to finish this tour.
We will pass by desert, canyons and make a few stops to visit some beautiful features on the way such as the blue lagoons, the Romera hole and the Angel’s pass. It will be a mix of singletrack and unpaved roads. We should be back to the hotel in Villa de Leyva to freshen up, have lunch and then onto Bogotá to arrive in the afternoon to the hotel of your choice or the airport.
Massage after the race stages USD 30 / per massage
Single accomodation USD 140 for the 3 day race or USD 200 for the 5 day race + tour
Airport shuttle including Bike (before or after the tour days) USD 40 (each way)
faq & logistics
en blanco
"DON'T WORRY" POLICIES
Free Pre-Registration: not sure you want to go yet? just give us some information and we’ll help you decide if this ride is for you and clear any doubts.
Refundable & reusable Deposit: You want to go and not loose your place but still you have to sort out flights, permissions and other details. You can place a deposit for 10% of the ride cost and have 2 weeks (14 days) to get a refund minus the transaction fees, or you can use that deposit for any other date or trip we offer.
Minimum trip size: We want to give you a great price but to do that, we need at least 5 people to run this trip at the advertised price. For groups of 1 to 4 people the price will increase USD 350 per person (which still is affordable compared to other offerings) and this will be notified 60 days in advance to give you enough time. We will avoid cancelling a trip at all costs.
GET THERE AND BACK
Ending point: The ride ends in Bogotá. We will offer a drop off in El Dorado International Airport on Day 7 or in the hotel of your choosing if you plan to extend your stay.
Flights: Flights are not included and we do not book them, we try to help you in the process in any case. Skyscanner can give you a good idea of flights to choose from.
Visas: Most countries do not need a Visa for Colombia. But be sure to check it out online.
TIPS TO REALLY ENJOYING THE TRIP
Fitness and Skill levels: One of the key points to have a great time is to be honest in your fitness and skill levels. This trip in particular is physically demanding during the race days but remember the main goal is to challenge and enjoy yourself. The following days are less demanding in terms of fitness but we will get a bit more technical to enjoy the pleasure of singletracks and ancient stone covered trails. We follow the 9 level Skill and Fitness classification which can be seen here. During your booking we also ask about your previous riding experience and goals to make sure you this is the right fit or you.
OTHER INFORMATION
Food: Breakfasts, ride snacks and lunch are included in this trip. We select restaurants for their quality and cleanliness to avoid illness. Dinners can be taken at local restaurants for a price around 10-20USD depending on the place. There is always a risk of contracting food borne illness in tropical countries, please be careful on what you choose to eat to avoid problems.
Visas: All travelers require a valid passport (with a minimum of 6 months validity). Citizens of some countries will also require a visa. For more information, visit the World Travel Guide website.
Insurance: We include an accident assistance insurance that covers local medical expenses in case of injury during the trip but we encourage you to get an additional insurance for any other situations not related to the trip.
Tipping: We encourage you to tip your guides if you feel you had a good service from them. Our guides are well payed but we also give you a very good price compared to the market so you can save a bit for your guides. A 3% to 7% of the trip total is a normal range (45 to 120 USD).
Safety and Security: Colombia is a much safer place than the news tell and the places we will visit should not pose any security risks, however you should exercise common sense and caution at all times. We recommend that you always stick to set travel arrangements, and avoid unknown areas. We also recommend that you wear minimal jewelry and that you keep valuable items safely stored. Always keep a copy of your passport, airline tickets, travelers checks and credit card numbers separate from where you keep the originals.
WHAT TO BRING
Renting a Bike: You can rent a bike with us for the duration of the trip if you prefer to save the effort of bringing it here. We will get you a medium-high range bike in very good condition with flat pedals and checked by a mechanic. If you use clipless pedals, please bring them with your shoes. It can be full suspension or a hardtail depending on your preference and the availability. You can choose this option when paying.
The gear: The usual MTB gear is required such as helment, gloves, padded cycling shorts, cycling jersey. Basic tools and a puncture repair kit. The rides will be in temperate weather mostly although rain is very likely as the weather changes. We’ll send you a packing list when you book.
Register or Contact us!
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