The transit of the fifth stage of the Tour Colombia between Paipa and Zipaquirá meant the abandonment of the department of Boyacá that had so far supported the race, where Nairo Quintana and Supermán López - both absent - remain the public's favorites. After 180 kilometers 'pestoso', the city of Cundinamarca was seen that saw Egan Bernal being born 23 years ago, one month and two days ago. The cradle, also, of the first great champion of the country, Efraín Forero .

The sprinter Juan Sebastián Molano won his third sprint victory and places UAE Emirates with 10 wins in a month of racing. Paipa's sprinter played his cards with intelligence. The long final straight in Zipaquirá taught that the Deceuninck Quick Step has a range of tactics available to seek success with his fast man, Álvaro Hodeg, but that none works for him. Alaphilippe and Jungels accelerated and stood out a few meters from the launched squad, but the magnificent Max Richeze was responsible for closing the hole and Molano, who let Hodeg pass within 100 meters , passed him just in the final line.

NAIRO DEL VENTOUX

As the result of sprint was as predictable as the escape of eight (the repetitive Pellaud, Duarte, Chapalud, Quiroz, Suárez, Pedraza, Maestri and Guamá ) was not going to yield more than intermediate sprints in plain and in ports of third and fourth , media attention during the move focused more on what was happening in Europe .

One of the buses that transferred to the Colombian national press - foreign journalists traveled in another - had to stop to see the last kilometer of the third stage of the Tour de Provence , ending at the Reynard Chalet (the first 10 kilometers of Mont Ventoux ). The journalists followed the television broadcast through the mobiles, but the connection was cut with the movement. Driver, stop the machine, we want to see Nairo without interruptions! The driver obeyed and the joy overflowed until the arrival in Zipaquira.

CYCLE CHANGE

Nairo Quintana crossed the victorious and solo goal after a magnificent performance in the last seven kilometers, finishing off the hunting work offered by his teammates Bouet, Barguil and his compadre Winner Anacona , also fled from the Movistar Team. The salary paid by Arkea Samsic begins to receive return. In Boyacá we have already seen a large number of cyclists dressed in the jersey worn by the 30-year-old Cómbita climber.

In the social networks they broke waterfalls of happy phrases of just celebration and also very summary sentences with little knowledge. Suddenly, Nairo is again favorite to win the Tour. Last year at the top of Las Palmas (February 17, the exact year will be fulfilled on Monday) he also won the stage in a fight without quarter against Miguel Ángel López, who took that edition of Tour Colombia in Antioquia. Neither Nairo was for the remains nor is he now infinitely superior to Egan Bernal or the Slovenian Tadej Pogaçar. It is still Nairo Quintana, surely motivated by the cycle change. Leader of the Tour de Provence in the absence of the Sunday stage, which should not break its hierarchy.

LUIS LEÓN FROM MURCIA

In the foreign press bus, the triumph of Quintana in the Reynard Villa was also lived with emotion, although with the signal interruptions that Colombian colleagues avoided. And almost simultaneously, although without images, the triumph of Luis León Sánchez in the Vuelta a Murcia, which stole Alejandro Valverde's wallet, although the champion of Spain faced the Collado Bermejo , the emblematic summit of the Region of Murcia . The final general had opted for the initial day of Friday in favor of the Belgian Xandro Meurisse (Circus-Wanty), who ratified his absolute victory. The Bullet aims, but for the moment it does not fire.

Back to Colombia, where the Movistar rolls together well in front of the head until it dissolves in the arrivals, in Zipaquirá, the 'Eganmanía' rose in tone. Thousands of fans from much of the country witnessed the sprint and were attentive at the end of the getaway, 17 kilometers from the finish line . The image of Egan Bernal is multiplied in streets, squares and markets, the first Colombian winner of the Tour de France is the local pride, at the level of the Salt Cathedral where some years his lord father worked.

FINAL TRACA IN EL VERJÓN

Sunday Tour Colombia ends and Egan is 50 seconds away from the leader, Sergio Higuita . A mattress that could be enough, although Education First worked on Saturday while the Ineos were able to travel quieter, always in quotes. Higuita is sure that the Ineos will be very aggressive; Bernal, on the other hand, confirms that they are going to "try everything until the end".

The goal in the Alto de El Verjón is to speculate with a bunch of possibilities and, consequently, high intensity emotions.

The stage does not limit its requirement to the suffocating end at 3,290 meters of altitude . Previously there is an area of ​​leg-break slides. At 20 kilometers from the end , 3,000 meters are also exceeded in the high of Patios , the mountain that with the Monserrate guards the city of Bogotá from the heights.

The final climb is 9.4 kilometers to 5.6% with ramps up to 13%, but sustained. The first two kilometers and the last two are the steepest. There are some descents interspersed that reduce the percentage of inclination, but in the last 20 kilometers we will attend a slope of almost 500 meters . Exaggerated altitude is the key. The verb suffer will be too short to express what cyclists feel. Quintana will no longer steal focus on the definition of the Colombian career in El Verjón.

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