In a blistering finish, Juan Esteban Sánchez from Antioquia won the gold medal in the junior road race at the Pan American Road Cycling Championships, which are being held until Sunday, June 22, in the department of Córdoba, Colombia.
The Colombian national champion was the fastest in the sprint that decided the race, held in the municipality of Cereté over a 120-kilometer course. The podium was completed by Chilean Luciano Carrizo and Mexican Santiago García, after Venezuelan Rikeyberth Josué Alvarado was disqualified for an irregularity in the sprint.
“Everything went as planned, although I thank the team that helped me throughout the race because several teams tried to break away, but they knew how to control it,” said Sánchez, who earned the fourth gold medal for his country in the tournament, maintaining their lead in the medal standings.
The home team’s performance was solid throughout the race, controlling breakaway attempts and strategically positioning themselves for the finale. Colombia also managed to place several of its riders in prominent positions within the peloton, demonstrating the teamwork and the quality of its young talent.
Among them, Óscar Iván Restrepo finished in fourth place, while Andrés Talero and Emanuel Restrepo also crossed the finish line within the leading group, reaffirming the country’s dominance in this category, in which Juan Manuel Posada had already secured the Pan American time trial title on the first day.
The competition, which took place at an average speed of 41.56 km/h, brought together 52 cyclists from 18 countries across the continent, who engaged in a tactical and highly competitive race from the outset.
Campeonato Panamericano de Ruta – Juveniles
Resultados Prueba de fondo » Cereté – Cereté (120 km)
| 1 | Juan Esteban Sánchez | Colombia | 2:54:06 |
| 2 | Luciano Carrizo | Chile | m.t. |
| 3 | Santiago García | México | m.t. |
| 4 | Óscar Restrepo | Colombia | m.t. |
| 5 | Eduard Ayala | Venezuela | m.t. |
| 6 | Rafael Campos | Venezuela | m.t. |
| 7 | Julio Cesar Ibarra | México | m.t. |
| 8 | Claudio Yandel | Puerto Rico | m.t. |
| 9 | Cristián Garfias | México | m.t. |