In a dominant display on the road, the Costa Rican team Colono Bikestation Kölbi asserted their dominance by sweeping the first five positions in the fifth stage of the 45th edition of the Tour of Chiriquí in Panama.
Like a true “red train,” the team’s riders—Sergio Arias, Alejandro Granados, Daniel Bonilla, Pablo Mudarra, and Joseph Ramírez—crossed the finish line together, as if it were a team time trial, after a 101-kilometer stage between the towns of David, Gariché, Solano, and Volcán in Panama.
The victory went to Sergio Arias, with a time of 2 hours, 41 minutes, and 30 seconds, followed by Granados and Bonilla, both with the same time. Following the Costa Rican team came Honduran Luis López, riding for the national team Manza Té La Selva, finishing 1 minute and 33 seconds behind the winner.
Of the five stages completed, four victories belong to the Colono Bikestation Kölbi team, managed by Elías Vega, and one to the Manza Té La Selva squad, with Jason Huertas, demonstrating the total dominance of the Costa Rican teams.
“We planned the race since Monday. The goal was to work as if it were a time trial to reinforce Pablo (Mudarra)’s lead. I thank my teammates for the confidence they gave me to win the stage,” Arias commented on the cycling website En Contrameta, run by coach Alexander Sandoval.
The rider from Paraíso de Cartago commented that Tuesday’s stage will be complicated due to the mountainous terrain. However, they will try to climb as a unit and maintain the leader’s jersey for the team.
As for the overall standings, Pablo Mudarra remains the clear leader with a time of 13 hours, 3 minutes, and 46 seconds. He is followed by his teammates Joseph Ramírez, 15 seconds behind, and Alejandro Granados, 18 seconds behind.
The closest cyclist to Mudarra who is not part of the Colono Bikestation team is Honduran Luis López, who is in sixth place, 2 minutes and 21 seconds back.
This Wednesday, the sixth stage will be contested between David, Entrada de San Andrés, San Pablo, Potrerillos, and La Chancleta, for a total of 126.8 kilometers, where the mountains will be decisive. A 19-kilometer individual time trial is scheduled for Thursday, followed by a 77-kilometer circuit race on Friday.
Tour of Chiriquí (Panamá)
Results Stage 5 | David -> El Volcán (101,1 km)
| 1 | Sergio Arias | Team Colono Bikestation Kölbi | 2:41:30 |
| 2 | Alejandro Granados | Team Colono Bikestation Kölbi | m.t. |
| 3 | Daniel Bonilla | Team Colono Bikestation Kölbi | m.t. |
| 4 | Pablo Mudarra | Team Colono Bikestation Kölbi | m.t. |
| 5 | Joseph Ramírez | Team Colono Bikestation Kölbi | m.t. |
| 6 | Luis López | Manza Te-La Selva-Scott | 1:33 |
| 7 | Bryan Salas | Team Costafrut-Chorotega | 2:39 |
| 8 | Gabriel Barrientos | Manza Te-La Selva-Scott | 2:40 |
| 9 | Bolívar Espinosa | Senafront | 3:07 |
| 10 | Randish Lorenzo | Aeronaval | 3:08 |