The Colombia team may lose two of its biggest profiles who are rumoured to have signed a contract with big WorldTour teams. Darwin Atapuma could be strengthening BMC's climbing roster while Johan Esteban Chaves is set to be next addition to Orica-GreenEDGE which are trying to build a team with more potential in stage races.
Colombian climbers have set the world on fire this year and it appears as though the big WorldTour teams have realized the potential of the many climbers from the South American country. Nairo Quintana, Sergio Henao, Carlos Betancur and Rigoberto Uran have all had a major impact on the biggest WorldTour races this year and BMC and Orica-GreenEDGE now plan to follow in the footsteps of Movistar, Sky and Ag2r who have successful Colombian riders on their roster.
The big loser is the Colombia team which is rumoured to lose two of its biggest profiles. According to BiciCiclismo, Darwin Atapuma has been the team's standout performer this year, winning a stage in the Tour de Pologne and performing well in the Giro d'Italia, and he has now caught the attention of BMC Racing Team which is rumoured to have signed a contract with the climber.
The American team has been led by Cadel Evans and Tejay van Garderen in the biggest stage races but has been criticized for its lack of ability to supports its captain in the mountains. The team has tried to strengthens its roster of climbers by signing Peter Velits and Peter Stetina and Darwin Atapuma may be the next addition.
At the same time, young Johan Esteban Chaves who caught the world's attention when he won the 2011 Tour de l'Avenir before going on to win the queen stage of the Vuelta a Burgos during his first professional season last year, is rumoured to have signed a contract with Orica-GreenEDGE. When the Australian team was founded two years ago, they put their emphasis on sprints and classics but now plan to also target the GC in stage races.
The team first made their intentions clear when they signed Italian champion Ivan Santaromita who is currently 10th overall in the Vuelta a Espana, and Chaves may be the next strong climber on the team. The Colombian crashed hard in the Trofeo Laigueglia in February and hasn't raced since but is now training in Bogota, preparing for his return to European racing and a possible WorldTour debut.
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