Juan Diego Alba from Boyacá won the title of the Vuelta a Costa Rica 2023, a competition that took place for ten days and ended on December 25, with the partial victory of local rider Gabriel Rojas.
The Colombian climber took over the yellow jersey in the eighth stage and defended it without setbacks until La Aurora. The 26-year-old rider from Boyacá, from Movistar Best PC, won his first title in a UCI race.
In the general classification, Alba, who replaced his countryman Marco Tulio Suesca, climbed to the top podium, accompanied by Costa Ricans Kevin Rivera (7C-Economy Lacoinex) and Sergio Arias (Team Colono Bikestation Kölbi), who finished 2nd. and 3rd, respectively.
“We left with a good taste in our mouths with my partner Brayan, youth champion, and I, general champion, and we are really happy to win this Tour of Costa Rica. In the end I think the key was in stage six in which I escaped at the start,” Alba told the local press.
The climber from Boyacá, who went through the highest category with the help of the Spanish team Movistar, resisted all the attacks of Kevin Rivera and Sergio Arias, his two main opponents.
“In the end it is the mind that plays a lot and thank God we are winners here, now. I thought it was going to be calmer, but it wasn’t, the truth is I received a lot of attacks from Sergio and Kevin and well, I think I knew how to get through the day. Without a doubt, it was a very demanding circuit, the legs hurt on the slopes and it was quite difficult lap by lap. I think that in the end I knew how to reserve my strength and here I am as a winner,” added the beetle.
The 26-year-old runner from Tutense thus closed a great year, adding another podium to his annual campaign, after being third in the Vuelta al Táchira at the beginning of the year.
“This is a gift for my daughter, who just turned five today. I want to send a greeting to all my family who are looking out for me, this victory is dedicated to them, and well also to all the guys on the team who did a magnificent job during the ten days,” Alba concluded.
The last day was won by the local rider Gabriel Rojas (7C-Economy Lacoinex), second came the Guatemalan Esdras Morales (Guatemala National Team) and third came the Costa Rican (Leandro Varela (7C-Economy Lacoinex).
Results Stage 10 (Final) » La Aurora›La Aurora (99 km)
| 1 | Gabriel Rojas *Costa Rica | 7C-Economy Lacoinex | 02:24:37 |
| 2 | Esdras Morales | Selección de Guatemala | 2:22 |
| 3 | Sebastián Brenes *Costa Rica | 7C-Economy Lacoinex | 2:33 |
| 4 | Pablo Luis Mudarra *Costa Rica | Team Montoya-BCT | 2:33 |
| 5 | Donovan Ramírez *Costa Rica | 7C-Economy Lacoinex | 2:33 |
| 6 | Sergio Arias *Costa Rica | Team Colono Bikestation Kölbi | 2:33 |
| 7 | Kevin Rivera *Costa Rica | 7C-Economy Lacoinex | 2:33 |
| 8 | Luis Daniel Oses *Costa Rica | 7C-Economy Lacoinex | 2:33 |
| 9 | Juan Diego Alba *Colombia | Movistar-Best PC | 2:33 |
| 10 | Daniel Bonilla *Costa Rica | Team Colono Bikestation Kölbi | 2:33 |
Ranking general
| 1 | Juan Diego Alba *Colombia | Movistar – Best PC | 30:42:39 |
| 2 | Kevin Rivera *Costa Rica | 7C – Economy – Lacoinex | 0:55 |
| 3 | Sergio Arias *Costa Rica | Colono Bikestation Kölbi | 2:35 |
| 4 | Santiago Montenegro *Ecuador | Movistar – Best PC | 10:04 |
| 5 | Sebastián Moya *Costa Rica | Colono Bikestation Kölbi | 15:37 |
| 6 | Brayan Obando *Ecuador | Movistar – Best PC | 15:51 |
| 7 | Byron Guamá *Ecuador | Movistar – Best PC | 17:28 |
| 8 | Daniel Bonilla *Costa Rica | Colono Bikestation Kölbi | 18:04 |
| 9 | Kenny Nijssen *Países Bajos | Universe Cycling Team | 19:49 |
| 10 | Esdras Morales *Guatemala | Selección de Guatemala | 20:54 |
Source: Revista Mundo Ciclístico