BOGOTÁ. With a team time trial over 14 kilometers through the main streets of Medellín, the 2019 edition of the Colombia UCI 2.1 Tour will begin. A day that the favorites have considered the key to success, to start with the right foot the dispute for the general title of the sensational Colombian race.
For the current champion of this test Egan Bernal, the initial day will be more than important. “The chrono will be
fundamental and we will see how we will get out of there, because without a doubt this race will be won for a few seconds and in the end the important thing is for the team to win,” assured the young star of Team Sky.
Although for the plain of the course and experience in this type of tests, WorldTour teams will presumably have the
advantage, in cycling there is nothing written and this will be an open test, which will order the general classification, prior to the days that will be played at sprint and those of the closure in the mountain.
In the opinion of Sergio Luis Henao, the chrono will undoubtedly give differences, but he believes that the key will be in the mountain of the weekend. “The chrono will make a difference, but there will be tough stages like Saturday and Sunday at Palmas,” said the new UAE Team Emirates member.
Another element to consider for this team time trial, is that the 28 teams will compete on equal terms, that is to say; there will be no aerodynamic supports such as extensions on the handlebar, or a lid on the rear wheel, which will give everyone the opportunity to compete on equal terms with the attractive initial test.
According to Nairo Quintana, the mountain will be the judge sentencing the champion, but the exercise against the clock will mark an initial pattern. “The chrono is going to mark a lot the development of the race, we must be very careful in the penultimate stage that is a lot of cheating, we will be very attentive for the day of the Palms which is a climb that I like a lot” added the idol of crowds that was runner-up the previous year. (mundociclistico.com)