Colombian and Latin American cycling faces another blow following the confirmed death of Cristian Camilo Muñoz, a 31-year-old cyclist who was competing in Europe. His death occurred in a hospital in Spain after a series of health complications that arose days earlier in France during an official competition.
The President of the Pan American Cycling Confederation (COPACI), José Manuel Peláez, published a message of condolence on his personal social media profile for the family, friends, and the Colombian Cycling Federation, which we reproduce verbatim.
CRISTIAN CAMILO MUÑOZ, A SHARED GRIEF IN CYCLING ACROSS THE AMERICAS
When death takes a young cyclist, words of condolence are never enough. It is a shared grief among family, friends, and all of us who love this sport. This was the case with Colombian cyclist Cristian Camilo Muñoz, 30, who passed away following medical complications from a fall during the Tour du Jura in France.
All of us who knew him from his early days admire his dedication, discipline, and human values, both on and off the track. He rode for several national teams before joining UAE Team Emirates in 2021. At the time of his passing, he was riding for NU Colombia, with whom he won numerous awards, both in his country and throughout the Americas.
Many of us still remember his victory in a stage of the Giro d’Italia in 2018, as well as his accolades as King of the Mountains in the Clásico RCN and stage winners in the Vuelta a Boyacá, the Vuelta a la Juventud, the Vuelta al Valle, among others. In each of those moments, he defended his team’s colors with love and courage.
On behalf of COPACI and myself, I extend my deepest condolences. The example of Cristian Camilo Muñoz will remain forever in the cycling of Colombia and America.
