Esteban Chaves won the Colombian road race national championship today, claiming his first tricolor jersey.
The 33-year-old launched an attack with eight kilometers to go. Though his rivals tried, they never caught sight of him again, and Esteban soloed to the finish line.
Training went well over the winter for Esteban but he knew his competition in Bucaramanga would be fierce.
“At this time of the year, we are mostly all together, competing with each other, so it is more level,” Esteban said before the start. “People just take the bus for ten hours 100% just to see us. So this is pretty special, and competing for the jersey is a dream for everyone growing up, dreaming of wearing the Colombian jersey during the Tour de France for example or during the Giro d’Italia. The whole season with the Colombian jersey, that is like man, I am the man, I am the boss. It is like, ‘Look at me. I am from Colombia.’”
The 237-kilometer course consisted of nine laps around Bucaramanga and the route was lined with fans from start to finish.
