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Tour de France 2017: Colombian Rigoberto Urán crowned runner-up.

Sábado 22 de Julio del 2017

The Colombian Rigoberto Urán finished second in the overall classification and was proclaimed runner-up in the Tour de France.

The Colombian cyclist Rigoberto Urán reaches the podium in the Tour de France

Rigoberto Urán, from Antioquia, will be the third Colombian on the final podium of the Tour de France, after Fabio Parra, who finished third in 1988, and Nairo Quintana, runner-up in 2013 and 2015 and third in 2016.

Urán, from Cannondale, finished second in the general classification of the Tour de France after arriving with the eighth best time in the penultimate stage time trial, 31 seconds behind the winner, Polish cyclist Maciej Bodnar, and one minute and 32 seconds ahead of his rival for the runner-up position, French cyclist Romain Bardet.

Before the 20th stage, the French cyclist was six seconds ahead of Urán. In 1988, when Parra, from the Kelme team, finished third, the champion was the Spanish cyclist Pedro Delgado, from the Reynolds team, and the runner-up was the Dutch cyclist Steven Rooks (PDM).

In the three occasions when Nairo Quintana stepped onto the podium, the champion was the British cyclist Christopher Froome, and on two occasions he was joined by the Spanish cyclists Joaquín "Purito" Rodríguez (2013) and Alejandro Valverde (2015) as third place finishers.

In 2016, Nairo dropped down a spot and the second place went to Bardet, who today conceded it to Urán. In the general classification, the Colombian finished today 54 seconds behind Froome, who is the virtual champion, as he secured his fourth victory in the race.

The cyclist from Antioquia won the ninth stage between Nantua and Chambéry, becoming the eleventh Colombian to win a stage in the French race.

The other "escarabajos" (Colombian cyclists) who won a stage in the Tour were Luis Herrera and Santiago Botero on three occasions; Fabio Parra on two occasions, and Oliverio Rincón, Nelson Rodríguez, José Jaime González, Félix Cárdenas, Mauricio Soler, Nairo Quintana, and Jarlinson Pantano, once.

The first Colombian to participate in the French race was Martín Emilio "Cochise" Rodríguez in 1975 with the Bianchi team, which was led by Italian cyclist Felice Gimondi. Since then, 76 Colombian cyclists have taken part in the race. The Tour will conclude tomorrow with the traditional parade for the champions on the Champs-Élysées.

EFE