After an outstanding 2013 season for UCI Pro Continental level Team Colombia highlighted by their impressive performances during Giro d'Italia and a victory on the Tour de Pologne mountainous stage claimed by Darwin Atapuma, as well as for Colombian professional cycling in general, Claudio Corti headed to South America in order to set final preparations for an upcoming year.

While Team Colombia is getting ready to start their third consecutive season in professional cycling, with an untypically early kick-off in Tour de San Luis and Tour the Langkawi, team’s manager Claudio Corti in the interview for Revista Mundo Ciclistico reflects on the past, nearest future and inevitable changes in their squad.

Although Team Colombia’s roster hasn’t undergone serious transformations before 2014 season, they lost few strong riders in the likes of Darwin Atapuma joining BMC and young talent Esteban Chaves, who decided to sign with Orica – GreenEDGE. Corti admits that it has to affect a strength of his team, but same time sees the process as a proof of Colombian cycling taking the right path of development.

“Well, we've done the job well . We've formed them, gave them the opportunity to perform on a World Tour level, they achieved remarkable results and therefore became ready to race in World Tour teams such as BMC and Orica . Sure it hurts us to let them go, but we are also pleased to see them flourish and I'm sure they will continue in the line of great results, respondent to their talents and ambitions.”

“We expect a lot from those who arrive, as Miguel Angel Rubiano , Luis Long, Edward Diaz, Rodolfo Torres , Darwin Pantoja. We tried to acquire other cyclists, but several of them didn’t accept our proposal. Anyway, our priority is to remain a launching pad for Colombian cycling today has an impressive amount of talent to be well exploited .”

In the same interview, Corti commented on the rumors that lately linked Samuel Sanchez of folding Euskaltel – Euskadi with Colombian Pro Continental team.

“We have been discussing the reforms that professional cycling will undergo since 2015 and we have to prepare for it. We considered an opportunity of signing Samuel Sanchez, but at present it is impossible for us in terms of our budget, and for the rider because of his existing contract with Euskaltel. In any case, what we need is to accumulate the necessary points that allow us to be on the list of the 8 teams that can run at least one of the three great every year from 2015 .”

With or without Samuel Sanchez on board, Corti believes that his team can be competitive enough in rivalry for wild card invitations to the major World Tour events of the upcoming season. It seems that his confidence is based on a strong foundation.

“I have confidence. Our team is a genuine representative of Colombian cycling, which today has a great impact on the professional cycling. In addition, our last participation in the Giro lived up to anyone’s expectations and even though we haven’t won the stage, it attracted huge audience in the country, so organizers at least have to consider granting us an invitation again. As a consequence of our results in the two seasons , we have been invited to the Tour de San Luis and Langkawi which also modifies our calendar.”