Colombia National championships 2016

[Taxus4a]

Hi people! Happy 2016 for everybody!!

Looking at the circuit of the colombian national championship, the circuit in Tunja, Boyacá (Where Olano and Indurain were World champions), has some amazing slopes:

https://www.google.com/maps/@5.5405555,-73.3655523,3a,75y,352.25h,61.36t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1seAFdv7uWz96FfbXxjSK8RA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

This is the main climb of the circuit, 1,1 km with some step part like this one, close to the finish in the square of Bolivar, where they arrive in a quite hard and very narrow street just before the line.

Everything here:

http://www.federacioncolombianadeciclismo.com/noticia/ruta/1726/altimetr-as-y-mapa-del-circuito-los-campeonatos-nacionales-2016

The circuit profile is the last part, from 70 to 86 Km, and they do 7 times, so about 170 Km.

All the circuit is above 2700 m, so higher than Stelvio or Galibier.

Last year with just 4 climbs, and far from the finish line, it was a race to have a team to control... this time could be different for people like Quintana, who is at his home, Boyacá, or Urán, by far the stronger last year, but totally alone.

Besides this two big names, we will have Super Lopez, Anacona, Dayer Quintana, and maybe all the big names, I am not sure: Henao, Chaves, Bananito,... and the cyclists who ride in Colombia with big performances

 

[Escarabajo]

This is definitely for someone from Boyacá. They probably made it for Quintana. But Lopez or Anacona can win. Gosh, there are some other riders from Boyacá that can win as well.

 

[Ruudz0r]

Course looks great for Sergio Henao

 

[Taxus4a]

I hope the race can be followed on the internet with live TV. Last year is was possible to see some moments, but not the key part of the race.

 

[tristecsinamigos]

I will be there :-DD
My first chance to see all these WorldTeam big names.

 

[Taxus4a]

Re:

I will be there :-DD
My first chance to see all these WorldTeam big names.

Enjoy it and later came here to tell us.
Difrútalo, hermano, y luego nos cuentas.

 

[jaylew]

I hope a WT guy gets it. It would be nice to see the Colombian jersey on a rider in a top level team for once. Anyone know the last time that happened?

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

I hope a WT guy gets it. It would be nice to see the Colombian jersey on a rider in a top level team for once. Anyone know the last time that happened?

The closest was when Rubiano won it 2 years ago. I don't even think that even in the 80's a top Colombian rider won it. If they did I did not see the rider at the Tour wearing that shirt.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Re:

I hope a WT guy gets it. It would be nice to see the Colombian jersey on a rider in a top level team for once. Anyone know the last time that happened?

Fabio Parra was Colombian champion in 1985 and stage winner in the Tour as well:

 

[BigMac]

Hope Rigo takes the win.

Is the Banana riding this?

 

[Escarabajo]

If that so Fabio never wore that shirt in the Tour or major race. That shirt is Café de Colombia. I have one like that.

 

[carton]

They postponed the race. Looks like many of the big boys (they're only announcing Chalapud) are out.

Good job, Federación Colombiana de Ciclismo.

 

[GP Blanco]

Re:

They postponed the race. Looks like many of the big boys (they're only announcing Chalapud) are out.

Good job, Federación Colombiana de Ciclismo.

I read 'administrative issues' and something government related. Can someone with a much better knowledge of Spanish translate the article?

 

[canyonball]

There isn't yet a final agreement with the municipilaties hosting the race (which to me doesn't read like they are at risk, just that they aren't on ink yet). Plus there's work on the roads still not completed.

 

[carton]

Re: Re:

I read 'administrative issues' and something government related. Can someone with a much better knowledge of Spanish translate the article?

It's the official FCC (the Colombian Federation that organizes the race) press release, so it's probably just PR fluff blaming other people (mainly the towns involved). Which is fine, I guess, but I'm not taking their word for it or anything. I haven't seen the story picked up yet on any news sites except for one verbatim repost of the FCC release. I'll update this if anything interesting comes up, but for now it seems like the stars could be out and I'm not particularly into the hardcore politics of these things. BTW, Dayer Quintana had to put his own participation heavily in question during a post-race interview Saturday, which seemed really fishy since the race in held in their backyard and Nairo seemed particularly keen on it.

P.S. According to @ColCiclismo (colombian cycling twiteratti, apparently), all the WT riders are out now, but the governor of Boyaca (a friend of Nairo) is trying to fix it.

 

[slosada]

There are some speculations as what the reason was: It was mentioned pot-holes and agreements with hosting towns.
I hardly believe that, because first you have to approve the current route and, instead of postponing, they would have presented an alternate route (one of several that should have been proposed at some stage).

However there are rumors regarding disputes inside the Federation, or trying to benefit local riders.

From the Federation, they are saying that Nairo will race.

 

[Taxus4a]

Thiss is not proper of a serious country. Super Lopez looked today very angry, and for Rigo was a dissapointment...

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Well if Betancur is awol in Colombia again, maybe he will turn up

 

[gospina]

Re:

Well if Betancur is awol in Colombia again, maybe he will turn up

He actually did this two years ago. He showed up to some races wearing his AG2R kit. He ends up winning the race, only to be "disqualified" for forgetting to sign in at the beginning of the race . So technically he did win something that year.

 

[diego721]

This is ridiculous, but this is the way this country works. It's frustrating because I was going to travel to Tunja to watch the competition. Apparently the main reason is that the majors and governors are just sitting in their seats (They start their periods 1/1/16) so the money to do the arrangements the races need will not be ready to the initial date.

 

[Escarabajo]

Only 3 WT riders??? what a lousy organization. The point of doing it early in the year is to attract the best riders of Colombia so that they actually wear that shirt with pride in Europe. For a moment I get the feeling that they want Quintana to walk away with it. I like Quintana but we need more competition from the world tour riders. Uran, Pantano, Atapuma, Lopez, others.

Henao is participating on a last minute change. Because he was not going to do so after the change of schedule.

Let's hope for the best. I think Quintana is going to have it hard to win it anyway, because those locals are hard to beat in Colombia.

 

[sir fly]

Being aware of the patriotic sentiment among Colombians, I suppose they'll have nothing against watching their colours flying high on the most prestigious scene.

 

[Escarabajo]

Yes. But I would have preferred a more fair field.

 

[carton]

Re:

Only 3 WT riders??? what a lousy organization.

Quintana's really been the face of the race and is friends with the governor. Outside of that, the federation has a rather nice carrot in the form of Rio places. I think Sergio Luis and Winner (who also is from and trains around the vicinity of the race) knows that they're not going to have that many chances left for an Olympic place and that it's harder for a federation to leave out the national champ. That might make it a nice race. Any other year this would've been worse.

I'm assuming the Movistar Conti guys are going, right? I didn't catch the race in Medellin, but are they good enough to help Nairo control this race or is going to be an EPM-UNE/Coldeportes-Claro/Orgullo Antioqueño driving the pace?

 

[Max Rockatansky]

EPM-UNE-Área Metropolitana won the ttt today. They were allowed to use Oscar Sevilla.

1 EPM-UNE-Área Metropolitana 47:20 (54,5 km/h!!)
2 Movistar CT 0:27
3 Liga De Antioquia 0:42

Tomorrow there will be the itt on the same course.