96 th Giro d Italia Press Kit
Team Colombia Presentation In 2011, Claudio Corti was contacted by Coldeportes, the Colombian Department of Sports, to set up and direct a new UCI Professional Continental team, Colombia Coldeportes. 2 Colombia has a very unique feeling for cycling. Colombian riders left a significant mark on the history of the sport, and in 80s and 90s Colombian cycling occupied top positions with its great climbers, starting with legends Luis Lucho Herrera and Fabio Parra. Climbs is where the real show of cycling happens. But you need more than mythical climbs, you need riders with skills and mentality to generate emotion. That is what Team Colombia wants to bring into professional cycling. Our claim, Inspired by Climbing embodies it all: races light up on climbs, and that is where Colombians start the party. Enhanced by Colombian Governament with the intention of making Colombian cycling a global reality, helping Colombian riders back to Grand Tours like Giro d Italia and Tour de France, the Team is based in Italy, with an Italian management company - GLM SPORT. Led by Sports Directors Valerio Tebaldi, Oscar Pellicioli and Oliverio Rincon, Darwin Atapuma took the Team s first win on April 20th, 2012 in Giro del Trentino final stage, atop the Pass Pordoi covered with snow. Five more wins came during the season, two each for Fabio Duarte and Esteban Chaves and one for Juan Pablo Forero. Six wins, and a valuable experience: in its first season, the Team got a chance to take part to many top races of the World calendar. Now Team Colombia has the opportunity to debut in Grand Tours at the Giro d Italia, bringing an all-colombian line-up back to the Corsa Rosa after over 20 years. Those riders are backed by a Country full of passion, that wants the Escarabajos to follow the steps of the Cafe de Colombia team that led Colombia to the top of world cycling. And Claudio Corti s guys can t wait to do that. The Escarabajos are back. To stay.
PRESS RELEASE Team Colombia s Giro d Italia line-up Corti: Looking to put on a great show The most anticipated day is now just around the corner: a Colombian team s comeback to the Giro d Italia is a mere few days away now, and on Wednesday, May 1st Team Colombia will land in Naples, where the race will take its start on Saturday, May 4th. 3 With less than a week left to the start, it s time of decisions for General Manager Claudio Corti, obviously assisted by Sports Directors Valerio Tebaldi, Oscar Pellicioli and Oliverio Rincon. The names selection was particularly critic and difficult, as explained by the General Manager: The Giro is the core fixture of our season, and a race all of those guys have been dreaming of since their childhood. Still, everybody knows what the rules are, and our mission is to pick the best and most suited line-up for this three-week effort. At 96th Giro d Italia, Team Colombia will be led by a climbing duo formed by Darwin Atapuma and Fabio Duarte, who will try to live up with the great Colombian climbers tradition on the Giro d Italia iconic ascents. After a good first part of the season, Jarlinson Pantano and Robinson Chalapud will look to show off on the mountain as well, while Carlos Julian Quintero will handle a key support role, while also showing his quality as gutty breakaway rider. An important tasks also expects Wilson Marentes and Dalivier Ospina, who will protect the designated captains both on the flat and on the mountains, while also helping in the finale the Team s sprinters rounding out Team Colombia s line-up: veteran Leonardo Duque and youngster Edwin Avila. We tried to setup a balanced group, capable of staying in the action in every race situation General Manager Corti stated even if our main focus will be on the mountains, where our top athletes can show their best qualities. We are going to the Giro to show off and put up a big show, that is what everyone is expecting from us. Nevertheless, one big name is missing in the Escarabajos line-up: Esteban Chaves returned to Italy on April 23rd, and he is still recovering from the arm injury suffered at Trofeo Laigueglia in February 15th: We are really disappointed not to have Esteban in the mix, and it s not only because he is a strong man, definitely suited to the Giro route. He is a serious and committed athlete, and was really looking forward to this race, but he is taking it with great maturity, realizing he will have many other opportunities in his career: now he needs to recover completely, as we care about the man and his health in first place, Corti said. Adro (BS), April 29 th, 2013
Team Colombia for the 96th Giro d Italia Line-up ATAPUMA HURTADO Jhon Darwin Tuquerres (Col) 18/01/1988 Climber AVILA VANEGAS Edwin Alcibiades Calì (Col) 21/11/1989 Rouleur/Sprinter CHALAPUD GOMEZ Robinson Eduardo Ipiales (Col) 08/03/1984 Climber DUARTE AREVALO Fabio Andres Facatativa (Col) 11/06/1986 Climber DUQUE Leonardo Fabio Calì (Col) 10/04/1980 Rouleur/Sprinter MARENTES TORRES Wilson Alexander Facatativa (Col) 08/08/1985 Rouleur OSPINA NAVARRO Dalivier Palmira (Col) 09/10/1985 Rouleur/Climber PANTANO GOMEZ Jarlinson Calì (Col) 19/11/1988 Climber QUINTERO NORENA Carlos Julian Villa Maria (Col) 05/03/1986 Rouleur 4 The Team s management CORTI Claudio TEBALDI Valerio PELLICIOLI Oscar RINCON QUINTANA Oliverio MANTOVANI Massimiliano EVANGELISTA David General Manager Sports Director Sports Director Sports Director Team Doctor Press Officer The Team s staff BARCELLA Pierino GOBBI Marco LASORELLA Maurizio PAVLENKO Iryna BIANCHI Giancarlo GALLI Giacomo VEDOVATI Duilio ZOLA Francesco Masseur Masseur Masseur Masseur Mechanic Mechanic Mechanic Mechanic
The riders Darwin ATAPUMA Jhon Darwin Atapuma Hurtado EL PUMA 18/01/1988 Tuquerres (COL) Climber 1.67 mt 59 km @ElPumaDarwin 2011 1 0 Darwin s Bike - 2012 Giro del Trentino stage 4 - winner (Passo Pordoi) - 2012 Giro del Trentino 8th placed - 2012 Amgen Tour of California stage 7-2nd placed (Mt. Baldy) 5 Edwin AVILA Edwin Alcibiades Avila Vanegas EL KALIMENO 21/11/1989 Calì (COL) Rouleur/Sprinter 1.67 mt 63 km @edwinavila189 2012 0 0 Edwin s Bike - 2011 Track Points Race World Champion (Apeldoorn)
The riders Robinson CHALAPUD Robinson Eduardo Chalapud Gomez EL CHALA 08/03/1984 Ipiales (COL) Climber 1.75 mt 63 km @robinsochalapud 2007 0 0 Robinson s Bike - 2011 GP Miguel Indurain 6th placed - 2013 Vuelta Castilla y Leon Combined Classification Winner 6 Fabio DUARTE Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo - 11/06/1986 Facatativa (COL) Climber 1.66 mt 55 km @fabioaduarte 2009 12 2 Fabio s Bike - 2012 Coppa Sabatini winner - 2012 Amgen Tour of California 5th placed - 2012 Fleche Brabançonne 4th placed - 2011 Giro del Trentino stage 3 winner - 2008 Under 23 World Champion (Varese) 5 career stage wins at the Vuelta a Colombia
The riders Leonardo DUQUE Leonardo Fabio Duque - 10/04/1980 Calì (COL) Rouleur/Sprinter 1.70 mt 59 km @duqueleoduque 2004 8 10 Leonardo s Bike - 2010 GP Cholet winner - 2008 Tour Mediterraneen stage 4 winner - 2007 Vuelta a Espana stage 16 winner - 2006 Tour of Limousin - winner 7 Wilson MARENTES Wilson Alexander Marentes Torres - 08/08/1985 Facatativa (COL) Rouleur 1.82 mt 70 km - 2008 1 0 Wilson s Bike - 2008 Vuelta a Colombia stage 12 - winner
The riders Dalivier OSPINA Dalivier Ospina Navarro - 08/03/1984 Ipiales (COL) Rouleur/Climber 1.73 mt 62 km @dalivier 2010 0 0 Dalivier s Bike - 2011 Subida al Naranco 3rd placed 8 Jarlinson PANTANO Jarlinson Pantano Gomez EL PAIS 19/11/1988 Calì (COL) Climber 1.66 mt 55 km @jarlinsonpantan 2011 1 0 Jarlinson s Bike - 2012 Strade Bianche 12th placed - 2011 Vuelta a Colombia stage 7 winner - 2011 Tour de l Avenir 3rd placed
The riders Carlos Julian QUINTERO Carlos Julian Quintero Norena - 05/03/1986 Villa Maria (COL) Rouleur 1.78 mt 63 km @carjulian05 2011 0 0 Carlos Bike - 2012 4 Jours de Dunkerque King of the Mountains 9 The Team s Giro outfit
Team Colombia on web Official Website: Official Facebook Page: Team Colombia Cycling Pro (www.facebook.com/colombiacyclingpro) Official Twitter Profile: @Col_Coldeportes (www.twitter.com/col_coldeportes) 10 Official Youtube Channel: Colombia Cycling Pro (http://www.youtube.com/user/colombiacoldeportes) Press Contents Click to download - Team headshot pictures (HR) - Team riders action pictures (HR) - Team Colombia Giro d Italia Hotels Press Contact TEAM COLOMBIA PRESS OFFICE: VITESSE Mr. David Evangelista Email: colombiacyclingpro@vitesseonline.it Mobile: +39 3484112061 Skype: David.Vitesse