After months of speculation and after revealing that he had an attractive offer from another team, Fabio Duarte has decided to extend his contract with the Colombia team. Team manager Fabio Duarte describes the reinforced roster as the strongest yet.

Fabio Duarte will once again wear Team Colombia-Coldeportes’ colors in 2015. The 28-year-old former Under 23 World Champion travelled to Italy to meet General Manager Claudio Corti and sign the new contract that makes him the 18th rider in a significantly renewed line-up for the UCI Pro Continental outfit.

In 2014, Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Facatativa, June 11th, 1986) grazed a Giro d’Italia uphill stage win twice, grabbing the runner-up spot in stage 15, finishing in Montecampione, and in stage 18, to Panarotta. In 2013, Duarte went close to a Giro win as well, finishing 2nd in Tre Cime di Lavaredo snowstorm.

After Team Colombia’s signing of riders like Alex Cano and Brayan Ramirez, Fabio Duarte will be part of a strong field of climbers, whose ambition will be to live up to Colombia’s tradition and to the expectations of the fans, that in Team Colombia see much more than merely a cycling team: as officially confirmed by UCI Press Release of December 4th, the Escarabajos will once again be the only Colombian and South-American team in the Pro Continental circuit.

“I believe the Team line-up grew stronger for 2015 and I wanted to be part of it once again," Duarte commented after signing. "Even while considering other opportunities, Claudio Corti and I have always kept in touch and talking, so in the end we mutually agreed that we wanted to go on together. Over the years, I have developed a special relationship with Claudio and the fellow people in the team, so I am happy to be year again to go for a better season in 2015.”

“Even though he probably did not manage to give his best in 2014, you can’t downplay Fabio’s talent and the results he showed he is able to get and he will be another significant card for us in 2015," Claudio Corti commented. This is the strongest Team we have had in four years, and I can’t wait for the season to start.”