The cyclist Lilibeth Chacón was established this Sunday as the champion of the Women’s Tour of Colombia 2023 after taking care of her leadership with her trade. It was a deserved victory for the Venezuelan, who achieved a stage victory (the time trial) and added her second title in the most important women’s race in America.
“I feel that I have done things very well and I have prepared myself for this round. Wait what happens, ”Chacón replied after being asked in the preview of the opening day about whether she was going to repeat the title, because in 2021 she was also champion.
The leader of the Clarus Merquimia ranks hoped that her results would speak for her and so it was. It has been a year full of harvests for her, as she had just finished runner-up in the Central American and Caribbean Games, in addition to establishing herself as the best cyclist in her country on the road and in the battle against the clock.
In a fifth stage where there was no room for doubt, Chacón, she took the title of champion in a competition that took place over five days and covered a 404-kilometer route with the participation of 148 cyclists.
The Venezuelan seized the yellow jersey from the individual time trial that ended in Barichara, Santander, and gallantly defended it to Bucaramanga.
“I am very happy, this is a dream title, I want to dedicate it to all my team who worked tirelessly to obtain this achievement. I have reached my second conquest in this Vuelta and I will surely return to try to reach my third. I really enjoy running in this country that I feel is my own, I just want to thank you for all these days and I feel very proud of what I have achieved”, said an emotional Lilibeth Chacón at the end of the race on the penultimate day of July.
Lilibeth was born 31 years ago in San Rafael del Piñal, a municipality in the state of Táchira, near the border with Colombia. Since 2021 she has run for the Clarus Merquimia Group-Strongman, in our country, her second home.
In second place was classified a fierce Diana Carolina Peñuela, who tried by all means, but she could not snatch a shirt that she wore during the first two days. The DNA Pro Cycling cyclist arrived with the favorite label and ratified it throughout the stages.
“I fought, I gave all my 110% and in the end we got a second place that leaves us very satisfied. Obviously we wanted the title, we worked very hard with my teammates for this common goal and it only remains for us to congratulate Lilibeth and her team for what they achieved this Sunday in Bucaramanga. It was a nice duel”, said Diana Carolina, champion of the Vuelta the previous year.
It is also worth noting what was done by Ana Cristina Sanabria who was left with the third drawer of the podium. The Colombian Pacto por el Deporte – GW Shimano runner, three-time champion of the Women’s Tour of Colombia, did not disappoint in front of her people and had a great race from Sopó.
“I am very excited, this shows me that I can still fight in a great Tour, my teammates have been sensational since I got on the podium and I just want to thank them and all the staff of my team. They behaved up to the task and we will return for more and to try to achieve this race that is a dream for all of us, ”said Ana Cristina once she got off the podium of the best in her native Santander.
Women’s Tour of Colombia (2.2)
Result Stage 5 | Bucaramanga – Bucaramanga (98 km)
1.- Kaitlyn Rauwerda (DNA Pro Cycling Team) 2:47:09
2.- Carolina Vargas (Eneicat-CM-Sports Insurance) 0:02
3.- Diana Carolina Peñuela (DNA Pro Cycling Team) 0:19
4.- Lilibeth Chacón (Clarus Merquimia Group-Strongman) 0:19
5.- Karen Villamizar (Pato Bike BMC Team) 0:19
Final General Classification
1.- Lilibeth Chacón (Clarus Merquimia Group-Strongman) 11:05:56
2.- Diana Carolina Peñuela (DNA Pro Cycling Team) 0:11
3.- Ana C. Sanabria (Colombia Pact for Sport-GW Shimano) 1:54
4.- Karen Villamizar (Pato Bike BMC Team) 2:05
5.- Anet Barrera (DNA Pro Cycling Team) 2:11
Source: Espectador, Revista Mundo Ciclístico y Agencias de noticias