Like riding your mountain bike in Costa Rica? Want a beautiful, exciting and punishing alternative to the beauty, excitement and punishment of La Ruta? How about the 2010 North Face Costa Rica Trophy Bike race—a 5-stage, 280-mile adventure taking you from the Pacific Ocean resort of Playa Samara all the way through to the Caribbean Ocean?

The race takes place October 12th through the 16th. It’s billing itself as an event: “…designed for all, elite cyclist and the aficionado with good bike handling skills looking to explore some of the best locations in Costa Rica.” That means you don’t have to race, and you can still enjoy and capitalize upon the support offered by the event. Racing or not, you’ll still get to enjoy everything that makes Costa Rica so attractive: amazing riding, a challenging course, coffee, bananas, rainforest and even a small volcano that erupts every 15 minutes!

Should you choose to compete in the race, there’s more than just the satisfaction of finishing and/or winning. There’s a $20,000 purse of cash and prizes up for grabs. Racers can choose from five categories: Elite (male and female), Master A, B, C. There will be an awards ceremony at the end of each stage, where a leader jersey will be awarded. Times will be calculated at the end of the final stage, which will determine the overall winners of that big pile of loot.

Sound like fun? The head over to their site for more info?

Have you participated in La Ruta, or generally ridden in Costa Rica? Tell us about it in the comments below.