It comes as no big surprise when a young climber originating from Colombia shows off his potential and excels on mountainous stages from his very debut on the World Tour level, after the purely brilliant performances of Betancur, Quintana or, most recently, Arredondo. It doesn’t rise any eyebrows anymore too, that those riders usually had to overcome hardship and truly adverse circumstances to live their dream, and so did Esteban Chaves of Orica-GreenEDGE, but his story is fell into a slightly different scenario.

While for most of Colombian cyclists a greatest deal is to be noticed and signed by one of the World Tour or Pro Continental team, as they are ready to show off their explosiveness and strength on most feared ascents right after they were given an opportunity to race in Europe, the drama of Chaves started exactly when his fellow countrymen start their climb to the stars.

 

The 24-year old Colombian, winner of the Tour l’Avenir 2011 edition, shown some promise from his first performances in the Colombia-Coldeportes outfit and snatched his first professional victories in his first full season raced in Europe, as he had won G.P. Camaiore and stage at Vuelta a Burgos in 2012, where he also claimed a young riders’ classification and finished third overall. Considering these circumstances everyone would expect Chaves to excel in the following year, but an disastrous accident in the Trofeo Laigueglia in February 2013 not only put on hold a professional career of the young rider from Bogota, but forced him to question whether he’d ever be able to race on a bike again.

 

With a compound fracture to his right collarbone, fractures in his left petrous bone, right cheekbone, maxillary sinuses and sphenoid bone, pulmonary compressions and abrasions, Chaves had to undergo a multiple surgeries with a perspective of a very long recovery period ahead of him to which, as he himself admits, he wasn’t prepared well enough mentally. A sudden lifeline thrown to him by Orics-GreenEDGE, however, has given the Colombian climber the new faith in his own capabilities and strength to recover and pay back for the unexpected support he was given.

 

The contract offered by the Australian World Tour team in the middle of last season was a testament of the Chaves’ unquestionable talent, but also a big gamble as it was never certain that the young climber will be able to perform on the level promised by his early European performances following the recovery period.

 

"In April, May and June they were really hard and I thought that my career was finished and that there would be no more bike," he told Cyclingnews.

 

"These moments were very difficult, but I had my family and my girlfriend were with me."

 

Having a contract on a table and a huge support from him new team was enough for the young rider to overcome the mental breakdowns and make it back to the professional racing in 2014, with Challenge Mallorca being his first event after almost twelve months out of competition.

 

"I was really surprised and it is one very important reason that I continued to fight. There were days when I thought 'no more', but the contract was on the table and it was the main reason to continuing to fight, to work and to work on my shoulder. For the mentality it was very important, the most important thing is the head. This opportunity is amazing."

 

Participating in the Tour de Langkawi this week, Colombian rider recorded his first impressive result from his comeback in early February, when he crossed the line 10 seconds behind stage winner Mirsamad Pourseyedi Golakhour on the event’s queen stage and confirmed that he was worth all the faith and support the Australian team invested.

 

"I am really happy. It's incredible this result, after one year with no races and no good training. I want to say thank you to the guys, Shane, Alvaro, Neil for the opportunity in this team. This is one to say thank you," he said emotionally.

 

Chaves acknowledges that however physically he regained the level of fitness from before an accident and isn’t suffering from any injuries anymore, it would take much longer time to feel confident while racing in a group again.

 

"Returning after I had the accident and getting into the group, little by little things got better. Now that I am racing again, my head is better," he explained to Cyclingnews.

 

"It's very difficult being in the group. Always in my head, I have the accident. I always have it in my head when I pass something."

 

With his remarkable possibilities as a climber never being questioned, the young Colombian looks optimistically into a future and is eager to repay Orica-GreenEDGE for saving his professional career and giving an opportunity to continue on living his dreams.

 

"I remember one day in the Tour de France I saw Pieter Weening win one stage, beating Andreas Klöden. I remember this stage and now I ride in the same team as Pieter. It's incredible," he said.

 

"I want a result for Orica-GreenEdge, because they helped me and maybe in the future I can repay them."

 

And after all he has benn through last twelve months, Chaves dares to dream big indeed. But considering his talent being out of question and mental strength seriously tested from the very beginning of his professional career, there are no reasons to think he wouldn’t succeed.

 

"I don't work for a position in a WorldTour team and then stop. I dream that one day I can win the Tour de France. For this reason I work," he says.

 

"I like Tirreno-Adriatico, Lombardia and the Giro d'Italia is very beautiful, but my big dream is to win the Tour de France."