The lie of the land is rather different as the Tour Colombia returns to the calendar on Tuesday after a four-year absence. The passion for the sport in this corner of the world is as fervent as ever – witness the joyous multitudes in Duitama at last weekend’s national championships – but the skies are not quite as serene as they were in the spring of 2020.
Back then, just before the coronavirus pandemic took hold, Colombian cycling was at the zenith. Egan Bernal was the reigning Tour de France champion, and Nairo Quintana was beginning an apparent renaissance at Arkéa. Miguel Ángel López was the coming man of the mountains, and WorldTour teams were scrambling to identify and recruit emerging Colombian talent. Indeed, twelve months previously, before striking a deal with Ineos, Dave Brailsford had travelled to the country to investigate the prospect of securing a sponsor to replace Sky.
