From September 19 to 26, Flanders, one of the most emblematic places in world cycling, will host the great exponents of the international peloton on the occasion of the World Road Championships, in which Colombia will participate with 27 riders from five categories.
Due to its profile and its routes full of tradition and history, this edition of the most important competition in the world by nations, will be a real battle between specialists and experts in classics on technical terrain, cobblestones and explosive heights, which will be the great attraction of the centenary World Cup player in a land that has seen Fernando Gaviria and Álvaro Hodeg shine, the main heads of the elite national team, who will also have in their ranks the experience of Rigoberto Urán, who has worn the tricolor in the last eight elite world championships: 2013 , 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Sebastián Molano, Esteban Chaves and Sergio Higuita are also part of the legion of WorldTour cyclists summoned to face the challenge in Belgian territory. The elite Pan-American champion, Nelson Soto, and the champion of the Tour of Colombia, José Tito Hernández, complete the roster of eight cyclists who will compete the demanding 268.3 kilometers of the long distance.
The ladies have a solid block of five riders made up of Paula Patiño, Diana Peñuela, Erika Botero, national champion Lorena Colmenares, and Pan American champion Lina Hernández.
The Under 23 category, Colombia will have a high quality team made up of the national champions of CRI and route, Víctor Ocampo and Esteban Guerrero; the champion of the Youth Tour, Jesús David Peña, the Pan-American champion Heberth Gutiérrez, the sprinter with the most international victories of the season, Nicolás Gómez, and Santiago Buitrago, revelation of Team Bahrain Victorious.
In the youth categories, the presence of the multiple national champion Karen Dahiana González and Santiago Garzón, who had a brilliant season in Italy at the command of Team Work Service, stands out.
Two circuits make up the World Cup track: one of 32 kilometers around Flanders with passes through the heights of Smeysberg, Moskesstraat, Taymansstraat, Bekestraat and Veeweidestraat. The other will cover the entire town of Leuven, over a distance of 15.5 kilometers with ascents through Sint Antoniusberg, Keizerbserg, Decouxlaan and Wijnpers.
The elite women’s event will have a total distance of 157.7 kilometers; the junior ladies 75 km; the junior men 121 km, and the sub-23, 160.9.
The time trials will take place in the towns of Knokkoe-Heist and Bruges. 43.3 km for elite men, 30.3 km for elite and under-23 women; 19.3 km for junior ladies, and 22.3 km for junior men.
Colombia 2021 Road World Cup selection list:
Elite Men:
Fernando Gaviria (UAE Team Emirates)
Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates)
Álvaro José Hodeg (Deceuninck Quick Step)
Rigoberto Urán (EF Education Nippo)
Sergio Andrés Higuita (EF Education Nippo)
Esteban Chaves (Team BikeExchange)
Nelson Andrés Soto (Colombia Land of GW Athletes)
José Tito Hernández (Team Medellín)
U23:
Nicolás David Gómez (Team Colpack Ballan)
Victor Alejandro Ocampo (Colnago CM Team)
Heberth Alejandro Gutiérrez (Colnago CM Team)
Esteban Guerrero (Colnago CM Team)
Santiago Buitrago (Team Bahrain Victorious)
Jesús David Peña (Colombia Land of GW Athletes)
Elite Ladies:
Lina Marcela Hernández (Colombia Land of GW Athletes)
Paula Andrea Patiño (Movistar Team)
Diana Carolina Peñuela (Team Tibco Silicon Valley Bank)
Lorena Colmenares (Colombia Land of GW Athletes)
Erika Milena Botero (Colnago CM Team)
Junior Ladies:
Karen Dahiana González (Sistecredito GW)
Gabriela Alejandra López (Sistecredito GW)
Sara Juliana Moreno (Boyacá Race of Champions)
Laura Daniela Rojas (Boyacá Race of Champions)
Junior Men:
Santiago Garzón (Team Work Service)
Brayan Vargas (Strongman Bikes)
Brayan Molano (Bathco Cycling Team)
Alexander Guatibonza (Strongman Bicycles)
DT: Carlos Mario Jaramillo