In America, Colombia represents the undisputed bastion of the passion for cycling.
And for good reason !
The country is a veritable factory of champions, capable of competing with the best riders in the international peloton.
If Colombia has a long-lived tradition in this area dating back more than seventy years, Colombian cycling is now living through a golden era.
In 2019, the young Egan Bernal became the first Latin American to win the Tour de France, the most important race in the discipline.
The "escarabajos" (scarabs, the nickname of the Colombian riders) have managed to conquer each of the three major tours in the last six years (Tour de France, Giro de Italia and the Vuelta de España).
In the 21st century, only three other nations have succeeded: Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom.
However, when it comes to local racing, Colombia faces a big challenge today.
On the day of publication of this report, the Colombian Cycling Federation (FCC) counts 32 sanctions in progress for doping.
Between January and September 2022, seven riders have already been suspended for anti-doping rule violations.
Read the rest of our long format by clicking on the image below:
Colombia, doping world champion?
© FMM Graphic Studio
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