There are moments, seconds, happenings that prove to be complete game-changers in terms of the unfolding of a season for a rider. For Juan Pablo Forero, that moment came when he crossed the line in first at the end of a 191 km effort from Armenia to Cali. It was the first win of the season for Juan Pablo, after some months in which results didn’t come to repay his work ethic and commitment in adapting to a new team and lifestyle.
Forero took advantage of the first flat stage of the race to accelerate and raise his arms ahead of GW-Shimano Jairo Salas and Colombia Coldeportes team mate Jeffry Romero, in what turned out to be a huge finish for the team directed by Valerio Tebaldi and Oliverio Rincon.
“We are very happy with Juan Pablo’s win – General Manager Claudio Corti said – and we truly hope breaking his winless streak will now help him to go from strength to strength. He also needs to thank Jeffry, who did an outstanding lead-out job and also held on for third place. It was a very good day for us.”
GC remained the same, with GW-Shimano Felix Cardenas still leading with 22 seconds over Colombia Coldeportes Fabio Duarte.
Earlier, Carlos Julian Quintero reaffirmed his role as one of the most combative riders by working his way into an twelve-man break started early in the day. Quintero was eventually reeled in with 20 km to go, but his attitude helped the team to stay covered and save some energy for a very successful finale.
Tomorrow the riders will face a medium mountain stage, Cali-Popayan of 132 km. Three categorized climbs could prove a perfect springboard for a successful break: Colombia Coldeportes will go into the stage with increased confidence, and will be looking to take its chances.
