Colombia marks its independence on 20 July, and few stages showcase the country’s sporting identity like the Giro d’Italia. The Italian race’s steep, endless climbs have long suited Colombian riders, who built their reputation in the high mountains and carried it to Europe.
Colombian Cyclists in the Giro d’Italia
The story took off in 1973 when Martín Emilio Cochise Rodríguez became the first Colombian to win a stage at the Giro, opening a path for generations to follow. Luis Herrera soon underscored the nation’s strength uphill, taking three Giro stage wins and the mountains title in 1989, when the climber’s jersey was the Maglia Verde. That lineage continued with Chepe González and Freddy González, who kept Colombia’s presence strong in the high-altitude battles.
A landmark arrived in 2014, when Nairo Quintana wore the Maglia Rosa in Trieste and became the first Colombian—and the first Latin American—to win the Giro overall. Egan Bernal matched that achievement in 2021 with a decisive performance in the peaks. Between those victories came a stream of podiums and standout moments: Rigoberto Urán finished runner-up in 2013 and 2014, Esteban Chaves placed second overall in 2016 and took a memorable stage on Mount Etna, and Fernando Gaviria collected five stage wins and the only Maglia Ciclamino by a Colombian, a sprinter’s prize in a nation famed for climbers.
The present continues that tradition. After a life-threatening crash in early 2022, Bernal has rebuilt his career and returned to lead his team at cycling’s biggest events, becoming a symbol of resilience at home and abroad. Dani Martínez pushed the new era forward in 2024, finishing second overall in Rome behind a dominant Tadej Pogačar and returning Colombia to a Grand Tour podium.
Santiago Buitrago added to the stage-win tally in 2022 and 2023 and remains one of the country’s brightest prospects in the mountains, despite the misfortune that forced him out of the 2026 Giro. Einer Rubio, a stage winner in 2023, continues to show the aggressive climbing that has defined Colombian riders for decades.
Together, this group shares a clear objective: to take Colombia back to the top step of a race that has long felt like a second home.