The first great cycling tour of the year arrives. From this Saturday, May 26, and until next Sunday, May 28, the 106th edition of the Giro d’Italia will take place which will be attended by four Colombian cyclists: Santiago Buitrago from Bahrain Victorious, Rigoberto Urán from EF Education EasyPost and Fernando Gaviria and Einer Rubio from Movistar Team.
Santiago Botero spoke exclusively with the AS Colombia Newspaper at the official launch of the documentary ‘Con ojos de cyclist’ and analyzed the present of the four Colombian competitors who will participate in the 21 stages (2 CRI, 4 flat stages, 9 medium mountain stages and 6 high mountain stages). Aim for the Top 10 and the classification by points, the objectives for them.
Present of Colombians for the Giro: “There is Fernando Gaviria who was able to go in search of stage wins and has looked good this year, there is Santiago Buitrago in a great moment after taking the podium in Liège, something that is not easy and is very complicated. Einer Rubio is a rider who is in the process around big bosses and leaders, something that must also be paid to our cyclists because being gregarious implies a responsibility to do a job well”.
Objectives of the Colombians: “Colombians have to aim to win. Rigo has to aim for him to surpass his two second places in previous editions, looking to win a stage, something he already did in the last tour of Spain. Santiago Buitrago has to consolidate and be one of the most relevant in his team and be able to repeat the stage victory. Fernando Gaviria must look again for the cycling jersey that marks him as the winner of the points classification and look for the stages. It is not easy, but we are excited with these riders as well as with Einer Rubio. If the runners arrive at their best point they can bring something with them”.
Top 10 Options: “Rigo and Buitrago can do Top 10. Rigo has shown that he has always been able to get into the top 10, as long as his health respects them. The Buitrago case is that if they give him the option of being a man in the general classification, I’m sure he can be in the top 6, it all depends on the interests of the team, but if they respect him and don’t spend it, there is a chance that he will make a good position”.
Giro favourites: “Primoz Roglic is my favourite, he would already compete with Remco Eveneporl, but I think he could beat him more in seniority. It is a 21-day test and Roglic’s team is much more powerful. Mikel Landa is also doing very well and has to confirm with results what he has always promised”.
Colombia and its present in cycling
Colombian cycling news: “Cycling has cycles in different countries have cycles; cycles in which victories are seen every two by three and other cycles in which there is austerity. At this moment, Colombia is not in a moment of austerity, it is in a process where cyclists who have recently arrived in Europe are consolidating, such as Santiago Buitrago and others with his experience, who are looking for important results such as stage victories or general classification, but we can’t complain yet. I don’t think Colombian cycling is in a bad moment right now, although if there is a lack of teams in Colombia and future prospects, we have to see what next riders can reach Europe”.
Consolidate future cyclists: “Each one is different, each cyclist is a world apart. There are cyclists who adapt quickly to the rhythm and the European way of life and there are those who, despite having good results here, arrive in Europe and do not work in the same way for different reasons. What you have to do regardless of whether they arrive or not is to continue feeding Colombian cycling. You have to create teams in different categories, get sponsorship and generate an internal dynamic that helps us find those riders who stand out to get the best. The key is to support cycling in the different modalities and categories”.