Long live Tour Colombia and its new champion, Sergio Higuita

Daniel Felipe Martnez won the great closing stage in which his teammate Sergio Higuita was crowned as the absolute winner of the Tour Colombia 2020. Final podium cupped by Education First.

Tour Colombia 2020 ends as it began, with the Education First occupying the podium positions (Higuita, Marnez, Caicedo) and the Ineos of Egan Bernal as the auspicious victim. His hole was dug in that time trial by teams on Tuesday, which left a fortsimo team like that of Juanma Garate with the best cards to play this six-day game. They extracted 47 seconds of advantage in 16.7 kilometers. The bonuses for Sergio Higuita wins on Friday and Daniel Felipe Martnez this Sunday – winner of the last stage in El Verjn, at 3,290 meters of altitude ahead of Higuita and the first leader of this edition, the Ecuadorian Jonathan Caicedo-, the differences increased a few seconds.

EFFERVESCENT

Long live Sergio Higuita, the often young boy raised in the conflictive Castilla de Medelln commune, a lover of cycling that gives cycling a renewed air, a cheerful way to understand it. His brilliant appearance since last year pulverized a six-month probationary period at the Euskadi Foundation and left him in three to join the Education First increase of effervescence this week with a stage win, face to face with Julian Alaphilippe and Bernal, in Santa Rosa de Viterbo. The second meteorite that falls in the picturesque town of Boyacense, two centuries after the first, part of which is exhibited in the National Museum of Colombia, here in Bogot. On Sunday, with his leading orange jersey, he barely had to show his face. At the wheel of the Ineos, vigil and only jumped to accompany Dani Martnez, who won the trio of victories for Education.

PRIDE 'ZIPA'

Long live Egan Bernal, that was left until the penultimate breath in the closing stage of Tour Colombia in the irregular climb to El Verjn, natural monument to hypoxia, to oxygen debt. The last one we hope will be within a century, at least, to be able to enjoy, first of all the cycling that it treasures and, after its mood and its balance. Although some of us are gone. In the last stage he was unable to release the three of the EF, but even knowing the impossibility of the effort, he remained at the head of the group that took them to give the fans what he thinks he asks: sacrifice, effort. In the last 200 meters, Dani, Sergio and Jonathan surpassed him. It was written; fourth in the stage and the same place in the final general.

WINNERS AND EXPIRED

If we make a sper reduced summary of Tour Colombia we can establish a parallel between the struggles of the sprint and those of the two stages in which sprinters do not appear. Three for the boyacense sprinter Juan Sebastin Molano, of the UAE – well supported, but with a sweeping force in the final 200 meters – and three for the Education First choir. In both triple conquests they found opposition.

The sprinter tried to brake the Deceuninck Quick Step by Julian Alaphilippe, which returns to Europe without its long-awaited beginning of the victorious year in America, and the Colombian ambassador lvaro Hodeg. They tried to overcome Molano in several ways: with the train in the second stage, with long throws in the third and releasing both Alaphilippe and Bob Jungels in the last kilometer of the fourth. Water. Molano always responded, very superior and with an almost infallible protector: Max Richeze.

The Ineos also tried undermine Higuita's power and his Education with the libretto 'How to win the Tour de France' that has given so much success (since 2012 under the name Sky) to the British team. Have two opportunities: Santa Rosa de Virtebo and this Sunday in El Verjn. In both stages it appeared the garnet row of the Ineos breaking the weakest of the peloton at the decisive moment. And in both it was Richard Carapaz who sacrificed his main positions for a job for Bernal. Without the fourth stage solo drag taking advantage of the high that culminated 2.9 kilometers from the end of Santa Rosa, in the sixth stage of Sunday was emptied to leave the Education First, much more solid, even with Rigo Urn in the last part of the race. And, as in the previous case, identical result: water.

DIAMOND GREGARY

Long live also Richard Carapaz with new equipment and reinforced illusions to consider the reissue of the triumph I got in 2019 at the Giro d'Italia with the Movistar Team shirt. The Ecuadorian surrendered butt and his work for Bernal in El Verjn multiplied the wear due to a prick just at the beginning of the port, a kilometer and a half to recover the head of the race with the bike of his partner Brandon Rivera.

Long live the Tour Colombia. Sergio Higuita is the third winner of this world interest race I was born in Colombia in 2018 as a promotional index of the pact policies with the guerrillas of the then president, Juan Manuel Santos. That is why it was called Gold and Peace. Then Egan Bernal won after two memorable days: in Salento, with a sprint on the slope of four cracks (Urn, Nairo, Bernal and Sergio Henao) and the next day in Manizales, where Nario lost the final triumph after Egan maneuver with Sebastin Henao. Last year, Miguel Angel 'Supermn' Lopez I took over with a grand climb to the high anti-lock of Las Palmas.

RACE NEEDED

In the three editions there has been a lack of public passion and the delivery of the authorities of each region (Cali-Eje Cafetero, Antioquia and Boyac-Cundinamarca) nor the enthusiasm of those who raise each day the infrastructure required for an international test even with few means. Colombian cycling needs this test, but also world sport to help it grow. Cycling is very positively activating cohesion of this huge country martyred by decades of wars, guerrillas and urban violence.

In addition, it is from historical justice: Colombians had to travel to Europe for so many years to compete, it was time for a competition open to large teams here in Colombia. It is true that at these altitudes a seasoning that enhances competitiveness may be lacking: that there are Europeans or runners from other continents capable of competing here against those accustomed to breathing at 3,000 meters over sea level and not just a fight between Colombians, with the contribution, notable this year, of the Ecuadorian province of Carchi.

Next year he wanted to set up the test on the Caribbean coast of Cartagena, but it is still not clear which option will be chosen. Federative sources told this journalist that probably return in 2021 to Antioquia, as the year passed. Wherever it is celebrated, the party must continue.