Tour Colombia: From Olano to Molano 25 years later

The Tour Colombia keeps leading Ecuadorian Jonathan Caicedo after the second stage with a final in Duitama

In Duitama, almost 25 years ago, everyone expected to see Indurain as world champion, but I won Olano. In Duitama, today, the thousands of fans who crammed the finish area were not wrong in predicting the triumph to the sprint of Molano, Juan Sebastin, buyacense of Paipa and sprinter of UAE Emirates. It was expected that Jonathan Caicedo I kept the orange leader shirt and that happened at the end of the second stage of the Tour Colombia.

In Duitama, where Spanish cycling reached the Golden myth with Abraham Olano 25 years ago, I finished the second stage of the Tour Colombia, exempt from the altitude difficulties of that 1995 World Cup, of the toughest ones that are remembered for unevenness (more than 5,000 meters). The fraction of today's race maintained, of course, the constant and inevitable torture of altitude in a high plateau at 2,500 meters above sea level during the 152.4 kilometers prescribed to the 164 runners in competition. But nothing of climbs until touching the 3,000 meters, as 25 years ago.

The facts of that appointment were engraved in the heart of the people of Boyacenses, not just Duitama. Come excitedly “to see Indurain”, as Fabio Medrano, the mayor of Paipa recalls, starting point of the day. The brand-new municipal official is 30 years old and says that his electoral victory could only be due to God, because all the polls denied him victory. “I was five years old and I remember that my father took us walking, a long time walking, until we reached a specific place to see Indurain and the stars of that time. What I remember is the emotion that surrounds us, what the World Cup of cycling had ignited in our region, “he recalls.

Unzu: time heals everything

More fixed memories will be stuck in the memory of Eusebio Unzu, who prepared with Miguel Indurain the assault on Duitama for a long month in Colorado before landing in Colombia to see, incredulous, how the great champion celebrated the title of his companion Olano and was satisfied with his silver medal conquered in sprint against Marco Pantani. That Spanish glory race closed the World Cup with an inverse result to that of the chrono in Tunja, where gold was Navarrese and Gipuzkoan silver. Unzu throws balls out today: “When you take the strongest runner you expect me to win, but there were circumstances. We have already won a World Cup with Alejandro Valverde“.

Molano, today, was the best pitcher, the Argentine Maximiliano Richeze. The common work of Deceuninck-QuickStep to lvaro Hodeg in the last three kilometers, including a brutal acceleration of Julian Alaphilippe, I did not twist the forecast. The do took refuge well behind the locomotives of the Belgian team and the muscular buoy for his first win of the year, eighth of his millionaire team. The costing Hodeg was second and the sub 23 Israel Itmar Einhorn (Israel Start-Up Nation) agreed to third place after almost throwing away his partner and alleged leader of his training, the Colombian Edwin vila.

In Duitama, on October 8, 1995, a heavy downpour fell on the cyclists. On Wednesday in Duitama, a few high clouds sailed in the blue sky and the temperature exceeded 24 degrees Celsius. At these altitudes, the skin burns in the sun and the wind, gusty and fresh, fuels that fire. Protective creams limit its duration and any carelessness burns. The grilled shrimp color extends in the most solid faces of a platoon mostly tanned by these inclemencies. Colombians, Ecuadorians, Mexicans of the heights, almost all are immune to this high ultraviolet radiation.

Thursday, almost 3,000 meters

Among the four Spanish, just scar Sevilla, who stayed in Bogot almost 20 years ago, wears a nose without skin erosions, not like that of our diabetic athlete David Lozano, from Novo Nordisk (team consisting only of people with type 1 diabetes), Gerard Armillas, from Efapel, or from Carlos Verona. Go to Carlos's partner in the Movistar for review, Matteo Jorgensen, is to delve into the fussy skin syndrome that runs between Norwegian, British, Canadian, Latvian, Italian runners …

On Thursday, an outcome very similar to that of this Wednesday is foreseen, both in sports and climate. The third stage of the Tour Colombia will start again in Paipa and reach Sogamoso after 177.7 kilometers harder than those of the Wednesday, with steep slopes that touch the 3,000 meters of altitude (two fourth ports, the last at 2,963 m). Get off at Cmbita, the hometown of Nairo Quintana, who is on the Tour de Provence and has recovered his lost dog after requesting help for his search in social networks.