•
Tour Dates: February 5-8, 2009
• Best Arrival and Departure Dates:
February 4-9, 2009
• Opening Ceremony February 5, 2008 5:00
pm at the Historic Puntilla
Museum (former Marina Arsenal)
in Old San Juan
• Start Location: Paseo de la Princesa
Street, front of the Headquarters of
the Puerto Rico Tourism
Company in Old San Juan
• Closing Ceremony: Grounds of the San
Felipe del Morro Fort in Old San Juan
(World Heritage Historical
Site)
• Days: 3
• Rest Days: 0
• Format: Self-guided “fast riders” will
depart 10 minutes before the group
riders on Day I, 10 minutes
before group riders after the breakfast stop and two hours later on Day
III. Group riders will ride the
entire day as a group (peloton) at an average speed of 15 mph.
• Level of Support: Fully (mechanics,
SAG, motorcycles, oasis, etc.)
• Miles: approximately 375 (600
kilometers)
• Miles Per Day: Day 1 - 150 miles Day 2
- 100 miles Day 3 - 125 miles
• Surface: Asphalt and Concrete Roads
(25mm tires highly recommended)
• Terrain: It’s an Island!! Flats,
rolling hills, hills, a few climbs and
the occasional head wind.
• Maximum number of riders: year 2009 is
capped at 350 riders
• Meals: Breakfast and Lunch, oasis in
between loaded snacks, fruit, etc.
• Accommodations: Not included in fee
(see Hotel Information for additional
information)
• Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
(expect to ride around 9 (self guided)
-12 (peloton riders) hours
on day 1, 150 miles!!)
• Elevation: Mainly a Sea Level (10,000
feet accumulated climbing in three days)
• Main Entry Airport: Luis Munoz Marin
International Airport (SJU)
• Cost: $249 before June 30, 2008, $299
before September 30, 2008 and $349
before November 30,
2008. Save $50-$100 by signing up now ... right
HERE.
• Booking Status: Open through November
30, 2008 (online registrations ONLY)
• Cancellation Policy: No refunds for no
shows, transferable to another rider.
• Closing Ceremony: Sunday until 6:30 pm
in Old San Juan
• Both Opening and Closing Ceremonies
are packed with surprises and extra
goodies.
Save up to $100
by
signing up immediately. Registrations
close November 30, 2007 or when cap is
met. Remember to see the size charts for
the jerseys and t-shirts. No changes
will be allowed once the order is
completed. No refunds for no shows and
don’t forget to mention San Juan Cycling
Club when you book your hotel rooms!!!
Vital Information &
Logistics
Start/Finish: The start of our third LCT
will be in Paseo de la Princesa Street which
houses a Spaniard prison converted into the
headquarters of the Puerto Rico Tourism
Company, in the heart of Old San Juan.
Island visitors and locals are encouraged to
reserve rooms in the official Lighthouse
Cycling Tour Headquarter (LCTHQ) hotel of
Old San Juan for a convenient start and
finish. A discount rate will be negotiated
for LCT riders in the three Lighthouse
Cycling Tour Headquarter Hotels (LCTHQ)
selected which are listed in the hotel
section of this site. All hotel locations
have been selected taking into consideration
location, price and amenities.
 Opening
Ceremony: Starting on Thursday night,
participants will enjoy an opening ceremony
program that includes a "pasta party" dinner
and live folkloric entertainment. In the
heart of Old San Juan, and within the
Puntilla Museum (former Spanish Marina
Arsenal) in Old San Juan, participants will
have one of the most breathtaking views of
the San Juan Bay. It is in this ceremony,
where you will sign in (this means sign the
official waiver) and receive an awesome
goodie bag with tons of other extras while
giving you the first chance to meet local
and international fellow cyclist with whom
you will probably spend the next 96 hours
with. See our "Tour Update and Latest News"
section in this page for more details as
they are announced.
 Day
1: Old San Juan to the City of Ponce,
151 miles. Leaving way before sunrise (6:00
am fast riders - 6:10 am group riders ...
remember LIGHTS REQUIRED), we will ride east
bound to Fajardo where a late morning
breakfast (between 8:30-10:00 am) awaits
right by the Seven Seas and Las Croabas
beaches. This breakfast will give you a
stunning view of the eastern horizon where
it is not unlikely to see the Island of
Culebra and St. Thomas with the naked eye.
From there we will ride southbound towards
Guayama, not before crossing over “Camino
Nuevo”, considered the challenge of the day.
Have your camera handy for the spectacular
views from this 1000 foot hilltop. Before
arriving Guayama, we will stop at the Punta
Tuna Lighthouse (circa 1892) in Maunabo
where lunch will be served and you will be
able to get up close and personal with this
great historic building. We will then
symbolically pass by Arroyo's Lighthouse
(out of view). After a quick hydration and
snack stop in Guayama we will wind up the
day riding into one of the the most
historical towns of the south; the Ponce
Town Core. Those lucky enough to have booked
a room within one of the town core options
will have a chance to walk around the
beautiful Plaza and its surroundings
wrapping up a long day.
 Day 2: City of Ponce to the City of
Mayaguez, 100 miles. At 7:00 am we depart
Ponce to Yauco where breakfast once again
awaits in a secret historical location,
however, not before passing by Guayanilla,
home of the Costa Sur, an oil-fired
Steam-Electric Plant where a significant
amount of electric power for the island is
generated. After breakfast, we move on to
the ruins of the Guanica Lighthouse near the
Dry Forest area of Guanica. From this area
we will head to Cabo Rojo passing by the
plains of Lajas. Lunch will be served nearby
in Cabo Rojo immediately after passing near
the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse (within a mile).
Later in the day, we will head to the Town
of Mayaguez. Expect some heat and humidity
in the Lajas-Cabo Rojo areas during noon
followed by the omnipresent 2 pm showers in
Mayaguez.
 |
|
Jiguero Lighthouse
Located in Rincon this
Lighthouse was built in 1892 by
the US Coast Guard and is still
active. |
Day 3: City of Mayaguez to Old San
Juan, 125 miles. Leaving at around 6:00 am
(8:00 am group riders ... LIGHTS REQUIRED)
we will ride east bound to Old San Juan not
before riding through the world class
beaches of Rincon. We will then head to
Isabela for breakfast not before climbing
the "Las Cascadas" hill and passing by the
Aguadilla Lighthouse. The exact location for
the breakfast will remain “secret” like the
previous day. After filling up our bellies
in the amazing location, we will head
towards the Arecibo Lighthouse for lunch.
This section will take us through Jobos
Beach in Isabela known for its sand dunes
and surfing beaches. This area is also known
for its short, sharp, very steep climb to
the towncore of Isabela followed by the
Guajataca hill that eventually leads us to
Arecibo. Lunch will take place within the
Arecibo Lighthouse as a backdrop and from
there we will ride through the northern
coastal plains where we will see some of the
most spectacular beaches on the north side
of the Island reaching Dorado. In the Dorado
plaza we will wait for around 15 minutes for
the fast riders that departed Mayaguez at 8
am. From Dorado, we will be escorted by a
police motorcade weaving through the
financial district of Hato Rey and into the
cobblestoned streets of the City of Old San
Juan ending at the San Felipe del Morro Fort
where the closing ceremonies will take
place.
Lunch and
Breakfast: One of the most
important changes of the LCT ’09 is our
breakfast/lunch menu and location. All eight
main meals (opening ceremony, 3 breakfasts,
3 lunches and closing ceremony) will be
specifically designed taking into
consideration the specific needs of
endurance athletes. Carmen Nevarez, one of
the top sports nutritionist of Puerto Rico
and staff member of The Albergue Olimpico
(the top Olympic training facility in Puerto
Rico) will make sure that our diets, needs
and fuel is adequately supplied before,
during and after you have completed the
Tour. Unlike past editions, all breakfast
and lunch sites will have large tents,
tables, chairs, tablecloths, restroom
facilities and in some cases, even
entertainment!!. Needless to say, that they
will all be in breathtaking locations full
of fresh tropical air.
 Oasis:
Our evenly spread out oasis will have nearby
restrooms and will be loaded with fruit,
hydration, snacks and a few other extras
just when we know you will need it. Expect
to have an oasis situated at around every
25-35 miles. For those in the self guided
pack, it is worth mentioning that Puerto
Rico has countless convenience stores,
gasoline stations, drug stores and
restaurants of all kinds located all over
the route. So, if you happen to have an
emergency, "no problema"!!.
.jpg) Terrain:
Generally speaking, the terrain is
considered to be generous in part due to the
coastline route. However, expect a few daily
challenges in the form of hills. The entire
route has approximately 10,000 feet of
climbing evenly spread out. Riders will
encounter a few steep 8-10% climbs and
should be physically ready to ride 150 miles
the first day. Lights (White Front, Red
Rear) will be required on every bike the
first and last days. Although not necessary
for the strongest riders, a triple crank or
compact is always a good idea especially for
those with aging knees. Road surfaces on the
other hand are in average condition with
some poor patches here and there and the
occasional pot hole in the middle of the
road. Practice those bunny hops just in
case!! (see our local jargon section for a
few frequently used ones)
Weather:
As in any Caribbean Island, weather is very
unpredictable; however, expect 75-80 degree
days with lots of sunshine. Some humidity is
not uncommon during this time of the year.
During the early morning it may be in the
lower 70’s and rain is usually in the form
of occasional showers. We don’t expect a
full day of rain, however, we are all
familiar with unpredictable weather
patterns, so, be ready. For the month of
February, Puerto Rico's average high
temperature is 84 (28C), average low is 70
(21C), warmest ever was 96 (34C), coldest
ever was 62 (17C), average dew point is 67
(20.5C) degrees Farenheit.
Rain:
The LCT will take place rain or shine so
make sure you bring the proper clothing.
Remember this is the tropics where it is not
unusual to see the local cyclist protecting
his/her arms from the sun with arm
"warmers". The average precipitation is 2.2
inches for Puerto Rico in February, the
lowest of the year.
Hotels along the route: The official list of
hotels for Old San Juan, Ponce and Mayaguez
are provided in the Hotel Information
section of this site. Those denoted as the
LCTHQ will be the headquarter hotel for the
LCT in that town and it is strongly
encouraged you to book a room in this
location for your own convenience (bag
drops, massages, etc) Please contact these
hotels and make your own arrangements
because the tour fee does not include
accommodations. Special rates in these
hotels for LCT participants have been
pre-arranged, so, don't forget to mention
that you are part of the San Juan Cycling
Club group in order to get the discounted
rate. For all the details on hotels, refer
to the Hotel Information section.
Helmets:
Helmets are required on this tour and
must be worn at all times while on the bike
in accordance with the Puerto Rico Law. They
also need to be in good working order and up
to current helmet codes. It should also be
mentioned that cyclist must obey traffic
laws as a car, and everyone must have a
whistle in accordance to the Law.
Additional
Clothing: If you would like to
purchase additional official LCT jersey for
yourself, friends or family members just let
us know. Jerseys are $75. Sizes run standard
- XS / S / M / L / XL / 2XL. Refer to the
size chart included in this page for
details.
.jpg) Note for the
Romantic: In love and want a
romantic getaway with your significant other
who happens to be a cyclist? Well, lucky
you!!. Sign up today because the LCT will
provide memories forever and you will have
plenty of spots for that perfect photo, so,
have your camera handy, always. Many couples
have now completed the tour in the past
years and it is common to hear them saying
things like “this tour really got us
together” or “what a romantic cycling
getaway!!”.
Closing Ceremony:
This year, we intend to close the
Tour with a big bang. With the spectacular
San Felipe del Morro Fort of Old San Juan as
a backdrop, riders will arrive to the
grounds of this monument where the surprise
plat-du-jour will surprise us all. This will
be a great place for that last photo with a
lighthouse in the background and an
excellent place to exchange emails, phones
and addresses. So, have your pen and paper
handy and again don't forget the camera
because the closing ceremony area will be a
great spot for that last photo.
Official Route (2009)
One of the many great things that make the
Lighthouse Cycling Tour so unique and
different from others is its scenic coastal
route packed with historical sites. We paid
careful attention in its design trying at
all cost to avoid main roads.
For the benefit of prospective and current
participants we have plotted the entire
route into three segments (Day I, Day II &
Day III) using a popular online based
software. As soon as you enter each link,
please zoom out in order to appreciate the
route in its entirety.
Day I... click
HERE. (San Juan to Ponce, 151.1 mi.)
Day II... click
HERE. (Ponce to Mayaguez, 101.0 mi.)
Day III...
click
HERE. (Mayaguez to San Juan, 132.4
mi.)
Detailed cue sheets will be available he day
of the Tour. In addition, we were also
provided with the entire route of 2008 as
recorded by a Garmin Forerunner. For the
details see this LINK . It should be
mentioned that the previous link includes a
detour taken in the 2008 edition due to the
celebration of a Carnival in the Dorado
area. (Courtesy of Luis Gonzalez,
Barranquitas, Puerto Rico) On another note,
for those of you that are Google and Motion
Based buffs, you may want to see the
following three Motion Based Dashboards with
really cool information on every individual
day plus a combined file of all three days.
• Day 1 Motion Based Dashboard click
HERE
• Day 2 Motion Based Dashboard click
HERE
• Day 3 Motion Based Dashboard click
HERE
• All three days combined ... click
HERE
Caveat: The official route posted above may
vary from day to day due to unforeseen
public activities slated in a given portion
or the route or due to unexpected reasons
provided to us as the tour unfolds by local
police enforcement officers.
TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THE EARLY REGISTRATION
DISCOUNTS!!
|
3 days,
375-miles, 9 historical lighthouses.
This three day, recreational,
non competitive
cycling adventure will circle the
entire Island of Puerto Rico passing
through 43 coastal towns and
everything in between. 
Juan, originally built in the
1500's soon after the discovery of
our Island by Christopher Columbus.
Packed with its gems of art and
architecture, museums, galleries,
churches, chapels, fountains,
statues, narrow cobble stone
streets, plazas, fabulous
restaurants and the greatest most
hospitable people in the World,
riders will enjoy both the silent
tranquility of an early morning
departure from Paseo de la Princesa
Street to the most spectacular
arrival into one of the World
Heritage Sites, the San Juan
National Historical Site of San
Felipe del Morro Fort (circa 1539).
As an extra treat, our overnight
stays include the first night at the
City of Ponce, which has a unique
historical downtown village, while
the second night transports
us to the western town of Mayaguez,
host of the 2010 Central American
and Caribbean Games. The following
morning takes us to Rincon, known
all over the planet for its white
sand world class surfing beaches and
laid back flavor.
.jpg)
.jpg)
Visit
our blog at: