What's happening in Colombia? Why there is fear of tough times ahead for Colombian cycling

With Nairo Quintana and Egan Bernal, Colombia suddenly had two superstars in cycling overnight. Cycling madness was elevated to a new level. Besides the two grand tour winners, plenty of other compatriots showed themselves at the highest level. However, this period of pure bliss is now over. Is it a short-term dip, or is there more behind it?

It had been a desire of the Colombian people for decades: to win a grand tour, preferably the Tour de France. Of course, the country already had some big names, such as Fabio Parra, Santiago Botero, and Luis "Lucho" Herrera. The latter won the Vuelta a España in 1987, making him the only Colombian to win a grand tour. Following his legendary achievement, things remained quiet in the South American country for a long time. People yearned for a successor to The Little Gardener, but it took a long time.

When Nairo Quintana appeared on the scene, it was soon apparent that this was a special rider. In his first professional year, he was immediately invaluable to Alejandro Valverde in the Vuelta. Less than two years later, it was already a hit for Nairoman. He won the Giro d'Italia in front of runner-up Rigoberto Urán: a one-two punch for Colombia. It was a celebration, and Quintana was the country's hero. In 2016, he won his second grand tour with the Vuelta. He often came close in the Tour de France but had to give way to Chris Froome each time.

Quintana was the spark, Bernal the fire in Colombian hearts

Partly thanks to the inspired climber, Colombia had a cycling renaissance. Miguel Ángel López was on the podium of the Giro and Vuelta, as was Esteban Chaves. The latter became the first Colombian to win a monument with his victory in Il Lombardia. Fernando Gaviria was if only for a moment, one of the peloton's most feared sprinters: he won two Tour stages and wore the yellow jersey on his first appearance in France. But carrying the yellow jersey to Paris didn't work out until a young INEOS climber showed his face.

The name was Egan Bernal. As a U23 rider, he won the Tour de l'Avenir and made his mark on the pro-continental circuit. He went straight to the Tour in his first year with his British team, but things suddenly kicked off the following year. Bernal, only 22, rode with the best and delivered a rock-solid final week. The desired Tour victory was finally there for Colombia. Two years later, he was back on the top spot, this time in the Giro. Thus, after a 30-year of waiting, Colombia suddenly had four victories in grand tours in seven years.

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Bernal won his second grand tour with the Giro in 2021.

Doping, accidents and inconsistency: it's going downhill

After the Golden Age, there now seems to be a darker period in Colombian cycling. Quintana argued with his team Movistar and left. At Arkéa-Samsic, he got suspended after using the banned drug tramadol. Once back at Movistar, the now 34-year-old Quintana is just a shadow of his old self. Bernal struggled with his form and was involved in a horrific accident during training in 2022. Eleven broken ribs, perforated lungs, and 20 fractures in the kneecap, thumb, hand, femur, and vertebrae startled the cycling world. The fear was that he would never cycle again, but by August of the same year, he was already back on the bike.

But even Bernal has yet to find his legs of the past. With Daniel Felipe Martínez, there was another Colombian on the podium of the Giro this year, but otherwise, he was invisible. And for other aspiring top riders, such as Santiago Buitrago, the main thing is that they lack the consistency to connect with the best. And López, once seen as the successor to Quintana, became involved in a doping case he is still not out of. But beyond the deteriorating performance, a very dark cloud hangs over Colombian cycling.

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Once the great hope, now dismissed Miguel Ángel López has taken a free fall.

Disappearance of Tour of Colombia harbinger of doom?

The Colombian government is interfering—the young Colombians who want to reach the top lag behind their European competitors. Professionalization is also not at the right level anymore. And who else but Quintana put himself forward as the guardian angel of the youngsters. "With so many problems in our country, I want to invite you to support us now," he told the parliament of Colombia. "We see big cuts for athletes and the Ministry of Sports. But nobody seems to notice; nobody knows anything or talks about it. Historically, in Colombia, we have always opposed difficulties, and we still do - not only on the bike to get results and represent our country, but also by advocating for our young people."

The call seems to have backfired because the government wants to encourage the development of cycling but at the expense of the Tour of Colombia. For years, it has been a monumental event in the country, where the riders are welcomed as heroes. But the money that usually goes to the round is now being taken away "to continue to promote the development of new talents and encourage the growth of the sport in all areas," told the cycling federation. That seems to be an evasive answer, as the organization tells us, "Throughout the year, there was no money. The situation in the country is not optimal."

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No race, no development: Colombia must find its way back

So Colombians are not falling for the cycling federation's story. Every cycling fan knows how important big races are for developing talent. Every pro has a story of their first visit to a race. To see your heroes in person and watch the whole circus in full swing is inspirational. With the disappearance of the much-loved Tour of Colombia, young Colombians now have to settle for television footage. And that's not exactly the same as having your picture taken with your idol.

At the moment, there is no obvious successor to Bernal and Quintana among the U23 riders. The 2019 Tour winner is still the last Colombian on the Tour de l'Avenir podium. Therefore, monitoring developments in South American countries will be interesting. The known riders are getting a bit old, and the young guard is not ready to follow in their footsteps. With the sport under government pressure, riders are already sounding the alarm: the next generation has no chance without money, especially in today's cycling conditions.

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