2024-02-05 14:01:02
By @jmhers
In fairness, a country with the cycling tradition of Colombia cannot be left without a test on its roads that brings together riders of the highest category, so it was necessary for the Tour Colombia 2.1 to be reborn after three years of absence to celebrate, between the 6th and February 11, its 4th edition.
Three World Tour teams, two UCI Pro Teams, five national teams, the biggest stars of Latin American cycling, both from the top category and the América Tour circuit, and a total of 925 km of route spread over 6 stages are the main ingredients for one of the maximum events of two-wheeled sport in South America. How significant that Colombia hosts international events such as a category 2.1 race since it gives the opportunity for local runners to compete against some of the best teams in the world, aware of the numerous Colombian and Latin American fans that gather on the roads and It also raises the bar so that, gradually and incrementally, the racing organization in this part of the world continues to grow.
The route
This edition of the Tour Colombia will tour the departments of Boyacá and Cundinamarca. It will begin in Paipa and from there the stages will look south east towards Bogotá where the last day will end. There will be a bit of diverse terrain to showcase different types of riders.
Stage 1. Route – Duitama 155.8 km
To loosen your legs, the Tour Colombia will begin with a flat stage. The peloton will start from Paipa and then do five laps of a circuit that will surround Sogamoso and Santa Teresa, to finish in Duitama, the famous city of the 1995 World Championships. There will be some hills along the way but the sprinters’ teams, of which there will be many, They will have no problems controlling and defining the stage in a massive arrival.
Stage 2. Paipa – St. Rose of Viterbo 168.8 km
Day of broken ground. The first two thirds of the route will be done in a constant up and down, ascending twice to Alto Moral and other heights along different slopes. About 40 km from the finish line, the terrain softens in the direction of Santa Rosa where the decisive climb comes: Alto Malterías, 2.5 km at a 5% slope. From the top there will be about 3 km of false flatland until the finish line. Quite an open stage and perfect for puncheurs, explosive runners on short climbs, or also for some of the finishers who best hold the road up.
Stage 3. Circuit in Tunja 141.9 km
A day that can be leg-breaking. There will be 11 laps of a circuit in Tunja, a city that has just hosted the National Championships, with a total of 13 km per lap. In each turn, two slopes of approximately 500 and 600 meters in length will be climbed with a slope above 7%. The incessant repetition of these climbs, if run particularly aggressively, can lead to a small group competing in the stage.
Stage 4. Paipa – Zipaquirá 181.8 km
The Tour Colombia heads towards Cundinamarca in this stage that has a fairly rough first half with several ascents and descents, which smooth out until reaching a flat finish line in the birthplace of Egan Bernal. The last time the Tour Colombia arrived in Zipaquirá, the stage was decided in a mass sprint and it is most likely that the same scenario will be repeated in 2024.
Stage 5. Cota – Alto del Vino 138.3 km
The grand finale at the top of this edition of the Colombia Tour, where there should be significant differences in the general classification. The peloton will have its first contact with the summit of Alto del Vino at the beginning of the stage, about 27 km from the start, and will make the long descent to, in Villeta, make the return and climb along that same road. It will be an endless 30.2 km of ascent, with an average slope of 5.68% with the hardest kilometer at 7%. Going up to Alto del Vino is a war of attrition, thanks to its relatively uniform slope, it will be a matter of who has the legs to withstand a strong pace for many kilometers, and near the end the favorites will fight against each other.
Stage 6. Soup – Bogota 138.7 km
The Tour Colombia, as is its essence, keeps the suspense of the General until the end. This edition will not close with a high finish but with a very interesting climb to Alto de Patios, through Macadamia, to then descend and enter Bogotá through Carrera 7 and have a flat finish at the intersection with Calle 34.
Although Patios is categorized as a 3rd class pass, 3 km long, due to the slope on which it is climbed, it must be taken into account that there will be two non-scoring climbs chained to the final climb to Alto de Patios. First there is Macadamia, about 3.4 km long, and immediately after that the climb to the Wiesner Plant (Mirador del Lago) which is another 4 km. They are not too steep climbs, but they will weaken your strength (and detract from the gregarious) before reaching Patios itself.
The participation
Astana Qazaqstan Team: The Kazakh team arrives in Colombia with Mark Cavendish as its main flag. They will have at least two opportunities, if not 3, to test Morkov’s pitches to the man who is seeking the absolute stage record in the Tour this year. Harold Tejada will possibly be his asset for the general classification along with Alexey Lutsenko. Also noteworthy is the first race of Ecuadorian Martín López as a WorldTour runner, although he had already participated with the top category squad in some races last year.
EF Education – EasyPost: Education First brings together its Latin American roster for this Tour Colombia: Urán, Chaves and Carapaz are called to be among the best in the last two stages, although the season is beginning and the riders are still looking for their best form, for sure They will be encouraged to do their best in front of their audience. Alexander Cepeda would a priori be the one who should work first when the road gets uphill while the versatile Andrea Piccolo can provide support in the mountains and go after his objectives on the winding circuits. Andrey Amador will not be able to be in the game due to health problems of his daughter.
Movistar Team: One of the teams that attracts the most attention because in this Tour Colombia Nairo Quintana makes his return to the professional competition. Although away from competitive activity for more than a year, Nairo never stopped training with the same demands, which is why he seems very motivated and prepared to return to compete in the main races. Since his goal is the Giro, he will be at the beginning of the season still building his fitness, but like the other local riders, he will surely be very motivated to put on the greatest show possible. Ivan Ramiro Sosa would be Quintana’s main support in the mountains, and Sergio Samitier also has the skills to be part of the train on the climbs. The team also brings Fernando Gaviria for the sprints, with Albert Torres as a thrower and the Brazilian wheeler Vinicius Rangel to also provide support on the flat or on the circuits.
Colombia selection: Captained by Egan Bernlal who continues to make a clear recovery. Bernal doubled Grand Tours in 2023 working for the team and is sure that this season he is looking to take a leap on his way to recovering his highest level. The squad that accompanies him with the colors of Colombia is very interesting, starting with his teammate in Ineos, Brandon Rivera, and other runners with different strengths but with experience such as Restrepo or Juan Diego Alba, also highlighting the young Germán Darío Gómez, a talented climber who He is starting his career in Europe.
UCI Pro Team Teams: The Corratec – Vini Fantini has its most illustrious figure in Nicolo Bonifazio, a sprinter but who can pass the heights, he will be both in the mass arrivals as well as he can endure on a circuit like Tunja to finish off at the end, the British Mark Stewart is possibly his best climber. As for the Belgian squad, Bingoal WB has a team made up mostly of versatile riders, with some like Persico more inclined to sprint and others like vVan der Beken stronger in climbing.
Continental Teams: There is a long list of Colombian runners and other nationalities from Latin America who are highly experienced and talented. Their chances are less than those of their WT rivals, but they can seek their prominence in escapes, or trying to take advantage of the vigilance among the top-class teams to fish in troubled waters with attacks close to the goal. On this list we have names like the former WT Sergio Henao, among the first outsiders, his partner on the NU team, Rodrigo Contreras, Fabio Duarte from Medellín, from Ecuador Jonathan Caicedo, recent winner of the Vuelta al Táchira, Aldemar Reyes who runs by Banco de Guayaquil-Bianchi, the brand new national champion Alejandro Osorio, Yeison Reyes leader of Sistecrédito, and some others whose results will depend on how strong they arrive and how they take advantage of their opportunities.
Forecast:
⭐⭐⭐⭐Egan Bernal (Sel. Colombia), Richard Carapaz (EF Pro Cycling)
⭐⭐⭐Nairo Quintana (Movistar), Esteban Chaves (EF Pro Cycling), Harold Tejada (Astana)
⭐⭐Brandon Rivera (Sel. Colombia), Jonathan Caicedo (Petrolike), Rigoberto Uran (EF Pro Cycling), Alexey Lutsenko (Astana), Alexander Osorio (GW Erco Shimano)
⭐Iván Ramiro Sosa (Movistar), Rodrigo Contreras (Nu Colombia), Aldemar Reyes (Banco de Guayaquil-Bianchi), Alexander Cepeda (EF Pro Cycling), Fabio Duarte (Medellín).
®Tour Colombia 2024
*Note: Some words were replaced with synonyms to detect plagiarism. Additionally, we want to report MARCA HORA, to the site ViewMe, and that another Latin American multimedia, which also steals the material, becomes evident when it publishes on the same day as us news that was actually from previous days and we decided to delay. If the incident is repeated, we will hold a public protest.
Marcelo Hernandez
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