Tour Colombia 2024: five keys to the queen stage and the remainder of the race

It was a special day. He Tour Colombia 2024 He faced the queen stage between Cota and Alto del Vino, 138 kilometers long, with the only mountain prize outside the category of the test at the finish line, the same one he won Richard Carapaz (Education EasyPost), while Rodrigo Contreras (NU) defended the lead.

The battle was fierce in the final climb and the Ecuadorian, Olympic road champion, confirmed that he was one of the candidates to win and put Contreras on the ropes, who defended the yellow jersey for 17 seconds.
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Here are the five keys to the queen stage of the race.

1. Attacks

Education EasyPost It is the strongest team, well, the one that had the best riders to storm the general classification and they did it. threw to Esteban Chaves and then to Carapaz, confirming that on paper the strong attacks on the day should be theirs.

Although they attacked, destroyed the lot, they were in charge of purifying the group on the climb, they only had one thing left to do: dress in yellow, something that was pending and did not come true due to the performance of Contreras.

2. Good defense

He says that the leader's shirt gives wings and that must be true, but it is clear that although that happens, it is much more the conditions of the person who wears it that ultimately defines it.

And there Contreras showed off the suffering, the experience he had when he was part of the team Astana. Towards Wine, as he said, knew how to overcome that bad moment with five kilometers left in the stage, when Carapaz came out and pushed him to the limit. He regulated, managed the times and pedaled with his head to keep the yellow jersey.

3. Few endured

The stage was also a test for other runners. For example, Egan Bernal, who finished fourth in the fraction. The leader of the Colombia selection He didn't have a good start to the day and on the climb, when he was at km 12, he suffered.

The attacks came, he regulated himself and reached the leaders, but that was when Carapaz launched his attack and Contreras responded. Bernal did not have the ideal pace, he saw them go and had to settle for picking up the pace and getting close.

4. Nairo, in bad times

It was an expectation. Nairo Quintana He had not competed in a stage race since the end of July 2022 and he paid for it. Once he was disqualified from the Tour de France for the use of a plotter, the man from Boyacá did not compete in a stage event again.

He paid his fee and it turned out that he had a lot of fabric left to cut. This Tour Colombia was a good option to show where he is at, but it is clear that he is lacking and that it will not be easy for him to get back on the wheel.

5. What is missing

The race is still closed. Between Contreras and the fifth, Egan Bernal, there are only 50 seconds. And between the leader and the second, Carapaz, there are only 17 seconds, which clearly says that the race is not defined.

This Sunday the sixth and final stage will be run, between Sopó and Bogotá, with two mountain passes, one fourth grade and the other third grade, the latter 10 km from the finish line, which makes the competition much more attractive.

Nothing is settled, no one can give the last word, but the truth is that Contreras has an advantage over his rivals, he looks good and can be the champion.

Lisandro Rengifo
Editor of EL TIEMPO
@lisandroabel