<p>Specialized Racing's Todd Wells concluded his 2012 mountain bike season with a third place in the final stage at La Ruta de los Conquistadores on Saturday in Costa Rica.</p><p>
</p><p>
Wells, who made the three-man lead group toward the end of the 70km race from Siquirres to Limon, was having a much better day than during the previous stage.</p><p>
</p><p>
"It was better than yesterday, a lot shorter," he said. "Without last year's opening series of rollers, the stage was pretty flat and much easier."</p><p>
</p><p>
Without those rollers to separate racers going into the section paralleling the railroad tracks, riders bunched up heading into technical sections like stream crossings and the infamous La Ruta railroad trestle bridges, high above fast, deep rivers.</p><p>
</p><p>
"The neutral rollout was the sketchiest I've ever done and luckily there were no crashes," said Wells. "The guys just attacked, attacked, attacked."</p><p>
</p><p>
Racing on his 2013 Specialized S-Works Epic 29er full suspension bike, the US marathon national champion was leading the race going into the first of the railroad bridges when he was surprised by the eventual stage winner, who boldly ran around him on the sketchy bridge, close to the edge while Wells trudged on down the middle.</p><p>
</p><p>
"On the long railroad bridge, the guy who won ran on the outside of the railroad tracks. I almost quit there because the railroad tracks were so slippery, and it was just so scary for me." </p><p>
</p><p>
That eventual winner, Enrique Artavia, got a gap, but Wells worked with two other riders, Federico "Lico" Ramirez and Alex Grant to chase him down.</p><p>
</p><p>
"Finally, Lico and I got a gap on Alex on one of the long riding sections. In our group of three, I don't know what the dynamics exactly were. I think Lico was going for a better position in the GC. I don't think the guy who won yesterday and his teammate took one pull. I stopped working with about 10km to go because for me there was no way to get better in the GC."</p><p>
</p><p>
Instead, Wells tried for a stage win and ended up third. "It wasn't enough. I should have stopped working at maybe 12km to go."</p><p>
</p><p>
With the end of his 2012 mountain bike season, Wells is ready for some time off to recover and chill out during the off-season. "I'm taking a break now.... starting right now!" he said with a big smile.</p><p>
</p><p>
Wells chose the Specialized Epic 29er bike after riding his Specialized Stumpjumper hardtail 29er the past two days. "It's so rough with a lot of fast bumpy fireroads. Some places the railroad ties are sticking up. If I only had the option to bring one bike, I feel like the Specialized Epic is the bike for sure for this race."</p><p>
</p><p>
For Saturday's wet and slippery conditions, he used Specialized Renegade Control tires on the front (28psi) and rear (27psi). As he did in the other La Ruta stages, Wells used SRAM prototype brakes and metallic brake pads instead of organic brake pads for their longer wear and better grip.</p>
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</p><p>
Wells, who made the three-man lead group toward the end of the 70km race from Siquirres to Limon, was having a much better day than during the previous stage.</p><p>
</p><p>
"It was better than yesterday, a lot shorter," he said. "Without last year's opening series of rollers, the stage was pretty flat and much easier."</p><p>
</p><p>
Without those rollers to separate racers going into the section paralleling the railroad tracks, riders bunched up heading into technical sections like stream crossings and the infamous La Ruta railroad trestle bridges, high above fast, deep rivers.</p><p>
</p><p>
"The neutral rollout was the sketchiest I've ever done and luckily there were no crashes," said Wells. "The guys just attacked, attacked, attacked."</p><p>
</p><p>
Racing on his 2013 Specialized S-Works Epic 29er full suspension bike, the US marathon national champion was leading the race going into the first of the railroad bridges when he was surprised by the eventual stage winner, who boldly ran around him on the sketchy bridge, close to the edge while Wells trudged on down the middle.</p><p>
</p><p>
"On the long railroad bridge, the guy who won ran on the outside of the railroad tracks. I almost quit there because the railroad tracks were so slippery, and it was just so scary for me." </p><p>
</p><p>
That eventual winner, Enrique Artavia, got a gap, but Wells worked with two other riders, Federico "Lico" Ramirez and Alex Grant to chase him down.</p><p>
</p><p>
"Finally, Lico and I got a gap on Alex on one of the long riding sections. In our group of three, I don't know what the dynamics exactly were. I think Lico was going for a better position in the GC. I don't think the guy who won yesterday and his teammate took one pull. I stopped working with about 10km to go because for me there was no way to get better in the GC."</p><p>
</p><p>
Instead, Wells tried for a stage win and ended up third. "It wasn't enough. I should have stopped working at maybe 12km to go."</p><p>
</p><p>
With the end of his 2012 mountain bike season, Wells is ready for some time off to recover and chill out during the off-season. "I'm taking a break now.... starting right now!" he said with a big smile.</p><p>
</p><p>
Wells chose the Specialized Epic 29er bike after riding his Specialized Stumpjumper hardtail 29er the past two days. "It's so rough with a lot of fast bumpy fireroads. Some places the railroad ties are sticking up. If I only had the option to bring one bike, I feel like the Specialized Epic is the bike for sure for this race."</p><p>
</p><p>
For Saturday's wet and slippery conditions, he used Specialized Renegade Control tires on the front (28psi) and rear (27psi). As he did in the other La Ruta stages, Wells used SRAM prototype brakes and metallic brake pads instead of organic brake pads for their longer wear and better grip.</p>
More...