Yesterday Team Colombia returned to competition after a small break when they lined up in the GP Nobili Rubinetterie. Even though they failed to come way with a result in the final bunch sprint, the team played a prominent role throughout the race tht was animated by Miguel Angel Rubiano and Juan Pablo Valencia.

Team Colombia’s athletes were in the thick of the action once again at GP Nobili Rubinetterie, thanks to a battling performance and the good condition of its athletes, standing out in the most selective stages of the 187 km race fromSuno to Stresa (Italy). After the group had come back together in the finale, Simone Ponzi (Neri-Yellow Fluo) topped a 80-man sprint ahead of Cristian Delle Stelle (Team Idea) and Francisco Ventoso (Movistar). Four Team Colombia riders closed in the main bunch: Jarlinson Pantano (17th), Miguel Angel Rubiano (29th), Carlos Julian Quintero (50th) and Fabio Duarte  (68th).

The peloton held a frantic pace over the first 90 km, clearly unwilling to hang out tickets for breakaway attempts. After Team Colombia had taken charge of reeling in a 10-man attempt, two riders of Oscar Pellicioli’s line-up, Miguel Angel Rubiano and Juan Pablo Valencia, started the day’s breakaway on the counterattack.

The two Escarabajos led the race up to the first climb to Massino Visconti ascent along with David Boucher (FDJ), Pavel Brutt (Katusha) and Antonino Parrinello (Androni Giocattoli), stretching their avantage to a maximum of 3 minutes.

Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) attacked from the peloton on the mountain slopes, getting to leaders group that had eventually reduced to three members – Rubiano, Brutt and Parrinello. Valverde attacked again on the second and final climb, getting solo to the top with a 30 second margin on a 19-rider group including three Team Colombia riders, Rubiano, Pantano and Duarte.

The Colombian riders helped the group back to the race leader in the flat run-in to the finish, but couldn’t resist to the comeback of more athletes in the peloton ahead of the sprint.

“I am very happy of our display, as the guys raced smartly, seizing the opportunities they had and putting their own initiative to good use," Sports Director Oscar Pellicioli said. “Today, everyone did his part in contributing to make the race more selective than the altitude profile suggested, as it was contested at a very strong pace. Today we could not bag a result, but we are confident for the upcoming fixtures coming next week.”

Team Colombia’s next race will take place in Italy, at Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali (March 27-30) and in Corsica, France, at Criterium International (March 29-30).