In a way, it would have been an anticlimax had Fernando Gaviria not won. Had it not been a Colombian, in any case. After weeks of anticipation and build-up, where national pride has bubbled over, the Colombia Oro y Paz got underway on Tuesday and followed the perfect script.
Gaviria was imperious in Palmira on what was a short and flat opener to the six-stage race. Such was the dominance of his Quick-Step Floors team on the last of nine laps of a city circuit that Juan Sebastián Molano (Manzana Postobon) was the only rider capable of getting past Gaviria's lead-out man Max Richeze in the run to the line.
Much of the excitement surrounding this new race stems from the fact that it's the first of its kind in Colombia. It's 2.1 status – la dos punto uno has become the unofficial nickname – flips the model of Colombians heading to Europe to reach the upper echelons of the sport, and instead brings the international peloton to Colombian soil.
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So it may seem strange to suggest an international winner wouldn't have been welcomed as warmly, but this race is very much a celebration of Colombia itself – of a landmark moment not only for the cycling landscape but also the country as a whole. In that sense, Gaviria, already a huge star internationally, was the perfect poster boy for the first day. He won't keep the leader's jersey – coloured the pink of the ubiquitous Manzana Postobon soft drink – when the hills appear later this week, but the president of the cycling federation has openly said he hopes a Colombian is wearing it when the race concludes atop Manizales on Sunday.
"This victory is very different, both for me and for the public," noted Gaviria after a rapturous welcome on the podium. "They don't always have the opportunity to travel to see their idols compete in Europe, and today they're here, at home, to venerate their own riders and their heroes."
The wider significance of the event was laid bare that morning with the presence of the president of the Republic of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, who waved the race underway.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/colombia-oro-y-paz-2018/stage-1/results
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