The Tour Colombia 2.1 2024 will go into action on February 6 with big names in Colombian cycling such as Nairo Quintana, Rigoberto Urán, Fernando Gaviria and Egan Bernal. For the champion of the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia it will be a more than special race, as it will pass through his native Zipaquirá and he was even encouraged to compare it with the Grande Boucle, due to the importance in the region and the European cyclists who compete in it. they decorate
Professional cyclist Egan Bernal expressed his enthusiasm and determination at the start of the Tour Colombia, which starts in Paipa and will end in the city of Bogotá. The notable winner of the 2019 Tour de France and 2021 Giro d’Italia expressed his intention to focus on enjoying the competition, rather than setting specific goals regarding his performance.
“I’m super excited, it’s an obvious reason, since we start this race at home. I think that for us, Colombians, this has been like our Tour de France. I have said it many times, it is the only opportunity we have for our families to see us compete. That gives us an extra 10% of motivation. It is also important that many Colombian cyclists can show themselves to the world. Here in Colombia there is a lot of talent and surely in this race they can show themselves.”
Team Ineos Grenadiers gave up the possibility of bringing its own squad to the competition; However, it gave Egan the opportunity to run with the Colombian team, which will be led by Carlos Mario Jaramillo. These are the other names that will accompany the Colombian star in the competition:
Hugo Rodriguez (Trinity Racing)
Brandon Ramírez (Team Ineos Grenadiers)
Germán Darío Gómez (Team Polty Kometa)
Jhonathan Restrepo(Team Polty Kometa)
Juan Diego Alba (Best PC)
Bernal underlined the importance of the resumption of the Tour Colombia after a four-year hiatus, highlighting its value within the international circuit and its potential to provide visibility to Colombian cycling talent. He mentioned that the competition serves as an exceptional platform for local athletes to showcase their skills on a global level, in addition to comparing the excitement he feels about racing in his country with the joy of competing in the Tour de France.
“There will always be foreign riders who do very well, so let’s see (…) Above all, the goal I set for myself is to enjoy myself beyond setting myself a certain position at this point in the season. I can’t say that I’m going to be first, second or third, I want to enjoy myself like I did in the national championships, give my best and see what level I’m at.”
The queen stage for Egan Bernal
Regarding the queen stage of the competition, with a challenging ascent to Alto del Vino, Bernal warned about the extreme difficulty of the segment, anticipating that it could be decisive for the final result of the race.
“That mountain is very hard, surely the race will be decided there. The pass has 30 kilometers of ascent after a very, very hard area of slopes, where it is normally very hot. There is that change in climate, it is not very hot, but it is already a little cooler up there, so I think that is going to make a lot of difference.”
He also expressed a special feeling towards the stage that will conclude in his hometown, Zipaquirá, although he acknowledged that the characteristics of the terrain do not particularly adapt to his strengths as a cyclist: “It will be a flat stage which is not for me, but hey, it’s the same. because it is a happiness to finish the race there. It is something very nice to see the stage there.” With Infobae
