Rodrigo Contreras is the champion of the Tour Colombia!

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The end of Tour Colombia 2024 has arrived! And with a historical champion in the competition. For the first time in the history of the competition a rider from a non-World Tour team won the race. This is Rodrigo Contreras, from NU Colombia, who in addition to being continental, is Colombian and was only born in 2024.

But it is no coincidence that NU Colombia won the Tour Colombia, the team was the strongest since the circuit in Tunja in which Contreras began to warn his rivals that he could get into the fight. That day, after finishing second after Alejandro Osorio, he put on the leader’s jersey that he kept until the end.

Work that he confirmed in the queen stage, in which Education First tried to ambush him with four riders and, despite the great strategy of the American team, Contreras had the best cycling day of his sports career and against the best in the world he ran with intelligence and maintained a difference of 21 seconds over Richard Carapaz.

In the last stage he just had to maintain himself, take care of himself and have the team do the protection work with their leader. And well, it wasn’t easy because EF, as the Ecuadorian and Esteban Chaves had said, tried until the finish line was crossed.

This was the last stage

The stage began with an EF stomping. Some riders tried to break away, but at this stage it was difficult to consolidate it. Egan Bernal and Javier Jamaica took the lead with 50 kilometers left and took a 30-second lead over the main group.

However, they were caught up again and when the most important challenge of the stage arrived, Alto de Patios, Richard Carapaz and EF began the first attempt at a comeback, already with five seconds left, 12 looked a little closer.

But this competition was made for Contreras, near his hometown, on roads that he knows perfectly, with history behind him and the support of all the people of Bogotá and with the seventh race as a witness. He won, with pure heart and desire, with pure courage and power.

The Colombian caught up with Carapaz, did not allow EF to take away his dream and achieved the first Tour Colombia of a continental team. The stage was won by Pácora Restrepo and Alejandro Osorio took third place.

Emotional stage with days of more cycling history for Colombia and with an unprecedented winner, an unprecedented team, but with a legendary fan base, made for cycling and a competition that must be consolidated over time.