Esteban Chaves finished the 2014 season on a high with a third place in the Tour of Beijing, the icing on the cake in a remarkable year in which he won stages in the Tour of California and Tour de Suisse after a season of recovery from a serious injury. At the Vuelta a Espana, the Colombian also made a successful grand tour debut.

 

Esteban Chaves has returned to Colombia and from there he draws a positive balance of his first season at Orica-GreenEDGE.

 

"For me it was a great year. I can say that I am back after a difficult year. It was a very good season. It was excellent, with great progression and much learningfrom the first race in February until the final race in October," he told the Colombian Cycling Federation. In March, he was fourth in the Tour de Langkawi and in October he was third in the Tour of Beijing behind Philippe Gilbert and Daniel Martin.

 

This year Chaves started to race again after a year of a recovery from a bad crash in February 2013 which threated to end his career due to a serious injury.

 

"This year the main thing was to reach a good competitive level and feel at ease in the bunch and we succeeded. The victories and the results are extra bonuses that give confidence and motivation," he confirms.

 

Chaves,who won the Tour de l'Avenir in 2011, had two highlights in 2014: his debut in the Vuelta and the podium result in Beijing. 

 

"It gives you a lot of physical and mental maturity to get through your first three-week race," he said after having fought with the best in the first two weeks and finishing 41st in Santiago de Compostela. Regarding his podium in China, he emphasized that it is "a good way to end the year. It gives you more confidence and desire to start the next season."

 

According to Orica-GreenEDGE sports director Matt White, the result is a confirmation of a long journey.

 

“Esteban has had an incredible journey when you look back 12 months ago he couldn’t shake your hand properly. To be borderline finishing your career aged 23 to finishing on the podium at a WorldTour event 12 months later, with some great wins in California and at the Tour of Switzerland in between, he has come along way," he said after the race.

 

 

In 2015, Chaves will continue to work in the same way.

 

"I will continue to do what I have been doing this year: working with professionalism and seriousness. That is important," he says.

 

White and Orica-GreenEDGE have high hopes.

 

“We knew he was a class act when we brought him to the team, you don’t win Tour de l'Avenir unless you are a super talent. Now the big question is where he going to be in 12months time. That is very exciting for us.”

 

 

Chaves also highlights the "incredible" year for Colombian cycling "with victory for Nairo (Quintana) in the Giro d'Italia, the second place for Rigo (Uran), the mountains jersey for Arredondo, Team Colombia, 9 riders in the WorldTour, victory in the Tour de l'Avenir, the World Championships and all the victories that narrowly escaped us."

 

It will be hard to repeat that kind of success.

 

"We are approaching 2015 with uncertainty. Much will be demanded from Colombian cycling. We will see along the way how well we perform but we will definitely try to bring joy to our country."

 

Chaves broke through in 2011 when he won the Tour de l'Avenia and in 2012 he confirmed his qualities as a great climber by winning the queen stage of the Vuelta a Burgos, finishing third behind Daniel Moreno and Sergio Henao, winning the Citta di Camaiore and taking second in the Klasika Ordizia and sixth at the U23 Worlds. His progress was stopped his crash at the Trofeo Laigueglia in February 2013. He underwent a difficult operation on his right brachial plexus and spent the rest of the year recovering from his injuries.