203 kilometers in a stage that seemed easy but turned out to be the worst that the cyclists have had to face in the 65th edition of the Vuelta a Colombia. That's the stage that Edwin Sánchez from EBSA Boyacá won.

In addition to confirming his team as one of the best in the Vuelta with two consecutive victories, he also confirmed that he knew the road, its conditions, and was aware that it wasn't as easy as it seemed.

Although it is flat and has some mountain obstacles that do not have the hardness of the higher-category ports, the weather makes the riders feel the weight of being on the bike even more.

The advantage that Edwin had was that he is from Caparrapí, Cundinamarca, a town near Guaduas, and his experience training on the new Ruta del Sol led him to victory.

"The breakaway happened at the beginning of the race, there were many of us but then they didn't let it go, important riders were left behind in the fight for the general classification. But it was a very tough stage, with a lot of heat, with rough terrain, the wind was very strong, but well, the terrain was familiar to me, I'm from here nearby and I was able to win," he said.

He added, "I expected it to be difficult because I know it, many said it was a transition stage but there are never transition stages. The terrain was very hard, the climb was not so hard but the wind hit you and heated up too much."

But besides enduring the inclement weather, Sanchez had to overcome two mechanical breakdowns that could have ended his dream of victory, "it was a total adrenaline rush because I had a mechanical problem with the bike. Sometimes you dream of winning but at one point you lose hope. Sometimes there's anger and despair but the technician was attentive and changed my bike."

Another person in his place could have given up and thought that the peloton was close, that the weather was tough, and that they would catch up on the climb, but Sanchez didn't, "sometimes one is skeptical and doesn't trust but I have always said that until you cross the finish line, you are not a winner. They were coming fast from behind, there were teams interested in the general classification but I remained calm and was able to arrive first."

Once at the finish line, it seemed like Caparrapí had moved to Guaduas, "I felt the screams of the people, it's as if it were my town," he said with emotion.