Rigoberto Urán has closed out his professional cycling career with a farewell event at the Atanasio Girardot stadium in Medellín on Sunday. The Colombian received the Medalla Categoría Oro, the highest award given by the Mayor's Office, while among 8,000 fans.
"This is a very special moment for any cyclist. I couldn't do it in the Vuelta a España, but God knows how he does these things. Today in Medellín, in front of all my people and the participants of the Giro de Rigo, witnesses of what is going to happen, I am [retiring from] cycling professionally," Urán said in a report published in Marca.
"I just want to say: Thank you, bicycle. Thanks to you I was able to achieve a lot, I was able to support my family, and I was able to fight and inspire an entire country,"
Urán joined the festivities earlier in the day riding alongside cyclists at the annual Giro de Rigo, an event for amateur riders.
He was also joined by Alejandro Valverde, Joaquim Rodríguez, Daniel Felipe Martínez, Sergio Higuita, Santiago Buitrago and Fernando Gaviria, who shared memorable career moments.
“Being with him has always been a joy. What he has given to this country has been a lot," Valverde said.
The celebration concluded in the evening with additional tributes, hosted by his wife, Michelle Durango, while the Mayor of Medellin, Federico Gutierrez, presented Urán with the Medalla Categoría Oro, as a tribute to his professional cycling career.
Urán's career started in 2006 with an Irish-registered Italian squad, Tenax-Salmilano when he was just 19. He went on to a 19-year career racing for teams Unibet, Caisse d'Epargne, Sky Pro Cycling, and QuickStep, and closed out his career with EF Education-EasyPost.
His career highlights included twice second overall in the Giro d'Italia (2013, 2014) and second overall in the Tour de France (2017), and a winner of stages in all three Grand Tours. He also earned the silver medal in the men's road race at the London Olympic Games in 2012. He also competed at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games in 2016 and Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.
“We lost the gold in London, but we won the gold in Medellín," Urán laughed while speaking about his career experiences including while representing Colombia at the Olympic Games.
Urán confirmed that 2024 would be his final season as a professional rider, making the official announcement at the conclusion of the Tour Colombia held in February. His final season did not go as planned having crashed on stage 8 at the Vuelta a España, he was forced to abandon the race with a fractured hip. He did not compete for the rest of this season.
