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THE FIRST TIME – Mundo Ciclístico Magazine

When we are just eight days away from starting a new version of the Tour de France, we have agreed in Mundo Ciclístico Magazine publish a series of stories that allow us to relive episodes that have marked the history of Colombian cycling in the largest and most important race in the world, considered, not in vain, the third sporting event on the planet after the Olympic Games and the Soccer World Championship, the Tour de France.

Let’s start by remembering with Martín ‘Cochise’ Rodríguez the first participation of Colombian cycling in the 1975 Tour, being part of the famous Italian team BIANCHI-CAMPAGNOLO captained by Felice Gimondi.

The test was won by the French Bernard Thevenet who “inaugurated” the end of Eddy Merckx’s victories on the Tour, who accompanied them on the final podium with the Belgian Lucien Van Impe, While ‘Cochise’ finished at number 27, in what was his first and only participation in the July party, after a good presentation as a gregarious member of his team.

The first time with a Colombian team

It took eight years for finally, after going through the Tour del Avenir filter (winning it in 1980 with Alfonso Flórez and then two third places in 1981 and 1982 with Sponsorship Jiménez and Christopher Perez), an “amateur” Colombian team could appear in the 1983 Tour de France.

It was thanks to the “globalization of cyclingpromoted in good time since 1982 by Félix Levitan, great patron of the Tour and Xavier Louy his deputy, how it was possible to get the presence of the Colombian team – which would wear the tricolor uniform as a national team – in addition to the support of the president of VARTA Saulo Barrera (RIP) and the French firm MAVIC– who became the indispensable supports to start what the Mundo Ciclístico Magazine baptized on its cover as THE GREAT ADVENTURE and Saulo Barrera pointed out as the CONQUEST OF EUROPE.

After a rapid process at the beginning of 1983, a group of runners was chosen that would integrate the team towards France, composed of; Samuel Cabrera, Sponsorship Jiménez, Alfonso Flórez (Q.E.P.D), Fabio Casas, Jose A. Lopez, Julio Rubiano (Q.E.P.D), Edgar Corredor, Rafael Tolosa, Abelardo Rios and Christopher Perez, who would be under the technical direction of two stars of Colombian cycling: Rubén Darío Gómez and Cochise Rodríguez with the advice of the two-time Tour de France champion, Luis Ocaña.

After competing in various events on the national calendar and also playing the Classic RCN -with the presence of European teams and riders- and the Return to Colombia, the group finally traveled to France fifteen days before the big challenge, being located in the small French town of Nogaro, with enough time to acclimatize, adapt to the time change, recognition of the fearsome PAVÉ, to reach the outskirts of Paris two days before the first stage, of what it was for everyone – cyclists, technical personnel, leaders, sponsors, journalists – a dream come true: to be in the Tour of Francia.

To not forget

And … we were on Tour 83, about a hundred Colombians, since July 1 recounting and following the satisfactions, achievements, learning, suffering, defeat, joys and sorrows, blood and disappointment, all in a set of emotions and sensations impossible to forget such as seeing Patrocinio Jiménez wearing the shirt of the best climber winning the TOURMALET mountain award against the great Belgian climber Lucien Van Impe, in addition to finishing third in the Puy de Dome

Observe ‘Condorito’ Corredor arriving third among the Tour giants (Hinault, Fignon, Kelly, Simon, Arroyo) al Alpe de Huez, how foreshadowing of what would happen a year later with Luis Herrera winning in that mythical place.

We live equally, the discouragement that means having to withdraw from the race and due to various circumstances they did; Rafael Tolosa, Christopher Perez, Alfonso Flórez and Julio Rubiano (already deceased) and Fabio Casas, as they made it to Paris, concluding their own GREAT ADVENTURE, Edgar “Condorito” Corredor in position 16 at 28 minutes, Sponsorship Jiménez (17) at 33 minutes, Abelardo Rios, Samuel Cabrera and Jose Alfonso Lopez more than an hour from the winner Laurent Fignon who was accompanied on the final podium by the Spanish Angel Arroyo (Reynolds) and Dutch Peter Winnen (Raleigh).

Upon finishing in Paris and returning to Bogotá, all of us who had the privilege of living that beginning, We knew that we were condemned since then to the leading role in the Tour and in world cycling, initially in the mountains and then in all areas, since the talent, natural condition and courage of the Colombian cyclist had been shown in the showcase of the world and caused total admiration.

All of the above would be reflected over the years in a progression for which it took 45 years from ‘Cochise’ and 36 from the VARTA, going through the podiums for Fabio Parra in 1988, Nairo Quintana in 2013, 2015 and 2016, Rigoberto Urán in 2017, until arriving with Egan Bernal, to the title of TOUR DE FRANCE CHAMPION in 2019, thereby achieving crown for Colombia THE GREAT ADVENTURE of the Tour de France, culminating such an undertaking after so many years of struggle, with the CONQUEST OF EUROPE.

Photos © Revista Mundo Ciclístico

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