Fabio Duarte spent one of the most important days of the year for Colombians in Bogota: July 20th, Colombian independence day. Even the celebration day couldn’t turn Colombia Coldeportes’ rider away from his focus on the London Olympic Games, where he will take part in both the road and time-trial races.
Duarte will defend Colombia’s colors along with Team Sky’s Rigoberto Uran and Sergio Henao.
“To get the opportunity to represent my Country at the Olympic Games makes me hugely proud. The Olympics are a dream for any athlete since being a kid, and that’s why I have been working really hard to get there in the best possible conditions,” Duarte explained. “The road race’s route doesn’t suit climbers, but I won’t give up the dream of the Olympic Gold: I will go to London to make battle, to show off and honor my Country’s colors.”
Some days after the finish of the Vuelta a Colombia, Fabio took on a focused training program, matching long-run, altitude and time-trial sessions: “I did a training camp in Sogamoso (2.800 mt. a.s.l.), but I reached even higher altitudes. I worked on time trails with Colombian coach Leguizamo, and put a lot of intensity in it. I believe have done a very good job; I am going to roll down the start ramp and give it all.”
Duarte’s confidence in Claudio Corti’s team project is growing day after day: “Our staff, led by Claudio Corti and Sports Directors Valerio Tebaldi, Oscar Pellicioli and Oliverio Rincon made a huge job in the first part of the season, using all of their cycling experience to help us grow as a team, and that laid the bases we will look to build on in this second half.”
“Now our race approch has changed, we are taking more responsibility and showing off with consistency. We will have plenty of opportunities to go for results in the final months of the season, and I like our chances.”
The Tour de France reached its end in Paris with no Colombians in the bunch for the first time in several years: “It was a little sad to see no Colombians at the Tour, they could have helped to animate the race on the mountains, though Team Sky’s guys showed to be really strong.”
Obviously, Fabio hopes it will be Claudio Corti’s team to restore the Colombian participation at the Grande Boucle: “It starts with us: getting a grand tour invitation in 2013 depends on what we will manage to show from now on. We must take our opportunities: as far as we do it, we can reach everywhere.”
