The Amgen Tour of California is coming up to its final days, and the favorites’ showdown is getting close. Still, the GC contenders didn’t show off in the first high-mountain stage,  Palmdale-Big Bear Lake, paving the way for a surprise winner. French Sylvain Georget (Ag2R) got a big win in today’s stage, soloing on the finishing line in Big Bear Lake after 196 km of tough racing, but that could not make big a big difference among GC contenders. Peter Sagan (Liquigas) had to stand with second, winning the main group’s sprint, while Peter Velits (Omega Pharma-QuickStep) was third. American…

Time trials are always one of the most feared tests when it comes to Colombian riders, but Colombia Coldeportes’ Fabio Duarte managed to provide a very strong performance in the 5th stage of the Amgen Tour of California, 27,5 km around Bakersfield. The trial turned the GC upside down: the leader’s jersey now belongs to today’s winner, American David Zabriskie (Garmin-Barracuda), who dominated the stage edging German Jens Voigt (Radioshack) by 23 seconds and fellow countryman Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) by 34. The time trial in Bakersfield was raced in a stunning, desert-like background, while also presenting some short but severe…

Colombia Coldeportes keeps on leaving a mark in its first participation at the Amgen Tour of California, with no less than three man on the attack in the fourth stage, 209 km from Sonora to Clovis. The stage win once again went in the direction of Slovak Peter Sagan (Liquigas), raising his score to four in the race. Heinrich Haussler (Garmin) was runner-up for the fourth time in a row, while Michael Matthews (Rabobank) rounded out today’s podium. The longest stage of the Californian race took the riders through wide prairies burned by a very hot sun: the heat was…

It was anything like an ordinary day for any Colombian cyclist: on this day, 25 years ago, Colombian legend Luis “Lucho” Herrera capped his overall triumph at the Vuelta a Espana. With this in mind, Colombia Coldeportes approached the third stage of the Amgen Tour of California, started in an incredible setting in San Jose, where a bunch of Colombian supported gathered around the team cars to sound their great support to the team. The Escarabajos were arguably among main protagonists of the race, along with Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale), who took his third in a row in Livermore after 185,6…

Colombia Coldeportes’ guys showed their determination in Amgen Tour of California stage 2, San Francisco-Santa Cruz (188,5 km). The Escarabajos animated the race with an aggressive display, while showing a growing condition and an approach that bodes very well for the upcoming stages. Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) was first to the line once again in Santa Cruz, obviously holding on his leader’s jersey. Behind the Slovak, Heinrich Haussler took another runner-up seat (Garmin-Barracuda), while Leigh Howard (Orica-GreenEDGE) rounded out the day’s podium. It was Juan Pablo Suarez’s black jersey to show off since the early kilometres, taking part to the day’s…

It was real challenge right away in Colombia Coldeportes’ debut at the Amgen Tour of California: the first stage, 186 km around Santa Rosa, offered a severe test for the race contenders, and in the end it was Slovakian Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) to take the stage and the overall lead by outsprinting Heinrich Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Barracuda) and Fred Rodriguez (Team Exergy), despite a puncture that forced him to chase back to the bunch with 7 km to go. Colombia Coldeportes’ Fabio Duarte (15th) and Darwin Atapuma (30th) closed in the first bunch a stage that proved more demanding than expected:…

After landing in San Francisco on Thursday, Colombia Coldeportes riders lived an intense first day in Santa Rosa, where the Amgen Tour of California is set to start on Sunday, May 13th. In the morning, the eight riders went out for a 4-hour training under the hot Californian sun, while in the afternoon they were committed in setting up a presentation segment American broadcaster NBC will show during the 8 days of the event. In the evening, the riders and Sports Director Valerio Tebaldi took part to the official teams’ presentation in the enchanting setting of Sonoma-Cutrer winery. The Escarabajos…

After getting back home from Dunkerque with the king of the mountains’ polka-dot jersey in the bag, Colombia Coldeportes is packing the baggage again to fly across the Ocean to the USA West Coast to take part to the Amgen Tour of California (May 13-20). The American stage race has consistently grown in stature in the last few year, and it’s arguably the most important USA race in the UCI Calendar. The race will start in Santa Rosa and finish in Los Angeles at the end of eight tough stages, including a severe uphill finish to the Mt. Baldy on…

It is done. Colombia Coldeportes’ Carlos Julian Quintero is on his way back to Italy with a beautiful polka-dot jersey in his bag, after winning the climbers’ final classification at the 4 days of Dunkerque, in Northern France. The final stage, Béthune – Dunkerque of 176 km, didn’t change anything at the top of the KOM classification, so Carlos could enjoy a trip to the podium thanks to the points he earned on his breakaway during the 2nd stage. The last stage went to Italian Matteo Pelucchi (Europcar), who outsprinted John Degenkolb (Argos-Shimano) and Danilo Napolitano (Acqua&Sapone). Juan Pablo Forero lead…

It wasn’t the easiest of days for Colombia Coldeportes in France, but Carlos Quintero once again managed to hold own his best climber’s jersey at the end of the fourth stage of the 4 days of Dunkerque, Gravelines – Cassel (183,3 km). Czech Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma – Quickstep) soloed to take a win in the queen stage of the race, preceeding Carlos Betancur (Acqua&Sapone) by 10 seconds and Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) by 15. Frenchman Jimmy Engoulvent (Saur-Sojasun) couldn’t hold on with the strongest, but managed his advantage to keep leading the overall classification with only one stage to go….