Over 1,200 Cyclists Travel Fuerteventura from North to South

9th Light Infantry Regiment 'Soria' lent its support to the cyclists (Photo:9th Light Infantry Regiment)

Cyclists at the start of the event (Photo:9th Light Infantry Regiment)

One of the nine provisioning points (Photo:9th Light Infantry Regiment)

In all 1,209 cyclists enjoyed travelling the island of Fuerteventura from North to South on 29th and 30th October, on the occasion of the 5th season of FUDENAS, the civic-military cycling race organised by the Soria 9 Sports Club, 9th Light Infantry Regiment 'Soria' and Base Services Unit 'Puerto del Rosario'. The event has beaten its record for participation, far exceeding the nearly 800 jersey numbers competing in the 2010 race.

Of the participants, 342 did so in the race (one day) category and 867 in the route (two day) category. The race covered 150 kilometres that crossed six of the island’s municipalities; with the starting line in the Baku aquatic park (Corralejo) and the finishing line in Morro Jable (Pájara). Every 15 or 20 kilometres the cyclists could get their strength back at the nine provisioning points installed for this purpose. As well, the cyclists in the route category spent the night at the central camp, which was situated on the Crafts Fair installations in Antigua.

FUDENAS has support from the General State Administration, the Fuerteventura inter-island council, the Office of Tourism, the island’s town councils and various public and private enterprises. In addition, this is an event whose success is based on security. To this end, 9th Light Infantry Regiment 'Soria' is in charge of marking out the route; the inter-island’s council’s regional ministry on Security and Emergencies lends its support with the Fuerteventura inter-island volunteer emergencies team and the medical centres; and lastly, civil guards and local police watch over the cyclists’ safety on the roads and in populated areas.

Year after year, Canary Islands, in general, and Fuerteventura, in particular, are on the way to becoming a worldwide reference for mountain bike enthusiasts, a wish expressed by the commander of 9th Light Infantry Regiment 'Soria', Colonel Guillermo Labrado.