At just 19 years of age, Eduardo Estrada (1995) makes the step to elite cycling with the WorldTour Lampre-Merida team. The move comes after a season of getting European experience with Chambéry Cyclisme Formation, an amateur team associated to AG2R-La Mondiale. Having been a great rouleur at the lower levels, he aims to develop and grow while riding for the Italian team.

Eduardo Estrada is proud to join the pro ranks at such a young age.

"I am really very happy and proud because it is the dream that every rider wants to achieve, and I am satisfied. It is very satisfying for me," he says in an interview with the Colombian Cycling Federation. Last year the Colombian won five gold medals at the Pan American Junior Track and Road Championships in Mexico.

Given his age, Estrada knows he has to take it step by step at Lampre-Merida.

"They prefer to have a rider for 10 years instead of 2. So we have agreed that I will try to have a rather quiet start to learn things better. Later I will be doing the big races and try to achieve big goals by doing the best I can," he adds.

He got the chance to get a feeling of European cycling at Chambery.

"They are two totally different kinds of cycling, that in Colombia and in Europe. In the flat terrain, it goes very fast (in Europe, ed.). Then it's much quieter on the climbs and in the finales it again gets very fast. Until now I have been best in the time trials and the undulating terrain but I still don't know. I am still only 19 years old and I have to wait for my body to mature," he says.

At Lampre-Merida, he will be riding alongside Colombian veteran Jose Serpa.

"Before I arrived in Colombia, I was in Italy and we talked for a while. He told me where he lives and the chances are that I will live close to him. He said that the team is very good and quiet and he will help as much as possible. In the race, it is always better to have a Colombian teammate who can teach you important things," he says.