Colombia-Coldeportes makes its return to the USA after two years (they last did the 2013 USA Pro Challenge) for the Tour of Utah, first of two dress rehearsal races ahead of the Vuelta a Espana, the most expected fixture of the season for the Escarabajos. Sports Directors Valerio Tebaldi and Oliverio Rincon will be in charge of calling the shots through the 7 days of the Mid-Western American race, starting from Logan on August 3rd to end in Park City on August 9th. 

After taking part in the Panamerican Games for Colombia, Alex Cano is set to lead the team in the United States, counting on Walter Pedraza, Cayetano Sarmiento and Daniel Martinez to set up his action in the toughest stages. Camilo Castiblanco and Carlos Mario Ramirez will look to be aggressive from the distance, while Edwin Avila and Sebastian Molano will share the opportunities in sprint finishes.

“It is a fairly balanced team,” Sports Director Valerio Tebaldi explained, “and in this race everybody should find the terrain to prove himself. This is the first race after more than a month, so we will probably need a couple of days to regain our racing pace, and be more aggressive in the second part. Utah and Burgos are the final tests before the Vuelta, so they have a big importance for both the team and all the riders.”

“A Grand Tour like the Vuelta is obviously a special motivation for us, and I am sure several of our riders will look to prove they deserve to be in the run for a spot in the line-up. We obviously have a good idea of the kind of team we want to field, but we will make the final choices only after those two races, so there is still the chance for everybody to make our decisions tougher,” Tebaldi said.

Tour of Utah (August 3-9)
Alex Cano, Walter Pedraza, Cayetano Sarmiento, Daniel Martinez, Camilo Castiblanco, Carlos Mario Ramirez, Edwin Avila, Sebastian Molano.