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Roberto Velásquez: The Story of A Legend |
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| rogvi97 |
Posted on 08-10-2012 21:06
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Great to see you with this story! It's just as good as the A Tale of Two stories! Good luck at the NC!
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 08-10-2012 22:26
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Tour de France Champion
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Roberto had a good time in Slovenia 
Lets hope he carries the form in to the Nationals |
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| Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 09-10-2012 07:07
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Nice stage win in Slovenia. It looks like Roberto matured a bit and listens to his coach a bit better now. As he was not attacking like crazy this time. 
Good luck at NC, your team should control it with ease,just watch out for Quintana!
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 09-10-2012 08:28
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FreitasPCM: Let's hope so
JuanMotr: That's a very likely possibility 
TimoCycling: Thanks, he owed it to his decent prologue stat, rather than his "sucky" TT stat
kimiopn: Thanks I'll try!
rogvi97: I'm very glad you think so! Thanks!
sutty68: Thanks, sutty
Avin Wargunnson: Yeah, he's maturing. He's also getting to know the sport on a professional level a bit more, and maybe he realizes he'll never get a great contract if he gets the reputation of being a badass  I'll watch out for Quintana, thanks |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 09-10-2012 10:45
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Colombian National Championship 2012
Roberto Velásquez appeared at the race as one of the top favorites.
The small peloton seemed to take it easy, when suddenly Uran went into the attack. Serpa and three Team Colombia Coldeportes followed, including Roberto.
Thins slowed down drastically and Serpa decided to set off alone.
Roberto was aided by Cháves and Atapuma (his best friend and dearest training buddy at the time) and when they had put all their remaining strength into one last pedal, Roberto set off alone, hunting for Serpa.
He found him 20km later. Then the game of poker could begin. Roberto seemed to have grown up a lot since the start of his career, only months earlier. He was shaping into the champion the world would get to know: calm, controlled, never revealing any emotions on the road, risky, but not stupid.
Because of the incredibly suspenseful bluff, Uran managed to return to the two. It was now a game of three.
In the final lap, Roberto attacked with a tempo so high, no one could every follow.
He threw himself in the descend he reached 95km/h, whereas Serpa only got to 81km/h. The victory seemed close, now!
Roberto finished it off, the cold-blooded killer he was. In his very first year of professional and competitive cycling, he surprised the entire nation of Colombia by becoming National Champion in the most exciting championship in years!
Result
| 1 | Roberto Velásquez | Colombia Coldeportes | 4h58'27 | IanButler | | 2 | José Serpa | Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela | + 1'32 | | | 3 | Rigoberto Uran | Sky Pro Cycling | + 2'47 | | | 4 | Darwin Atapuma | Colombia Coldeportes | + 7'09 | IanButler | | 5 | Winner Andrew Anacona | Lampre-ISD | + 8'46 | | | 6 | Esteban Cháves | Colombia Coldeportes | + 10'00 | IanButler | | 7 | Leonardo Duque | Cofidis, Le Crédit en Ligne | + 10'24 | | | 8 | Julian Arredondo | Team Nippo | s.t. | | | 9 | Miguel Angel Rubiano | Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela | + 11'22 | | | 10 | Carlos Alberto Betancourt | Acqua & Sapone | s.t. | |
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| lennybernstein |
Posted on 09-10-2012 10:53
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Great race report and congratulations to Roberto on a superb victory. He was a different class
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 09-10-2012 11:00
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Thanks Although Uran could've beaten him, had he not wasted his energy so early on in the race! |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 09-10-2012 11:00
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Ruta a Burgos 2012
Roberto Velásquez' first appearance in his brand new shirt was in the Ruta a Burgos. Unfortunately, no pictures or even results have survived the years. We don't know how Roberto raced there. We do know he didn't win a single stage and he didn't end very high on the GC. All we know is from a memory of his coach, right before GP San Sebastian.
(reconstructed:)
Coach: Wait and see, Roberto, wait and see.
Roberto: What do you mean?
Coach: In this race [GP san Sébastian), you better wait for the favorites to attack.
Roberto: Shouldn't I anticipate their attacks by going a little early?
Coach: No, no, you wait. Believe me.
Roberto: Last time I believed you, it turned out a pretty bad tour.
Coach: Well, you can't blame me for that. I took a gamble.
Roberto: Yeah, well, I might've won that final stage, my legs were good.
Coach: Then use those legs to win us Sébastian
We can't be sure, of course, but we assume that "final stage" he could've won was in Burgos.
However, what followed was so much more important, GP de Sébastian and even more important: the Vuelta à España 2012, Roberto's first Grand Tour! |
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| Jakstar22 |
Posted on 09-10-2012 11:06
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Great racing for Roberto. He took a great win at the Columbian NC. Great job.
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 09-10-2012 12:12
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Roberto the new Colombian Champion, very nice |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 10:27
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 09-10-2012 14:33
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Jakstar22: Thanks
sutty68: Thank you! |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 09-10-2012 14:33
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GP San Sébastian 2012
Many start with their fitness from the Tour. Winning here would be tough. But Roberto wasn't just some rider, and he had his mind on this race and the Vuelta.
Roberto's first picture in his brand new shirt. He looked good in it. And we'd see that shirt for a big part of his career. It was mostly that shirt, or sometimes even the WC shirt.
Although his coach had told him to wait, Roberto couldn't wait any longer. The peloton was moving too slowly and the breakaway was getting away. With about 25km left to go, Roberto decided to act on the surprise.
Afterwards we learned that he decided this together with the coach, only kilometers before the attack.
Gilbert payed attention and followed the attack. Other favorites were coming, too.
Gilbert still carried his form from his great Tour de France and passed Roberto Velásquez.
A small group got organized behind him. But soon it was obvious it was no good. Gilbert was gone.
6km to the finish, the chasing group gave up and everyone started preparing for the sprint. Roberto was not and would never be a rider who felt too good to sprint for a second place.
Result
| 1 | Philippe Gilbert | BMC Racing Team | 6h03'14 | | | 2 | Roberto Velásquez | Colombia Coldeportes | + 1'21 | IanButler | | 3 | Simon Gerrans | Orica-GreenEDGE | s.t. | | | 4 | Enrico Gasparotto | Astana Pro Team | s.t. | | | 5 | Alejandro Valverde | Movistar Team | s.t. | | | 6 | Andy Schleck | Radioshack Nissan Trek | s.t. | | | 7 | Greg Van Avermaet | BMC Racing Team | + 1'48 | | | 8 | Linus Gerdemann | Radioshack Nissan Trek | s.t. | | | 9 | Robert Kiserlovski | Astana Pro Team | s.t. | | | 10 | Bradley Wiggins | Sky Pro Cycling | s.t. | |
We're lucky to have an interview with Roberto, taken later that day.
Newspaper: Roberto Velásquez, a second place in your first San Sébastian. Do you think you could've won?
Roberto Velásquez: That's a question I really can't answer now. I think Gilbert would've beaten anyone today, under any circumstance.
Newspaper: Are you content with silver?
Roberto Velásquez: Of course I am, this has been an incredible year so far, and this second place makes it even greater. I hope to return one day and move up one more place.
Newspaper: You are 22 years old, have already won tour first WT event (Volta a Catalunya, red.), got close to your first classic, won your first National Championship and won 11 races in your debut year so far. Tell me, Roberto, where does it end?
Roberto Velásquez: Well, I'm not thinking about the end yet, let me tell you that. I hope to continue this line of performance and have a long and prosperous career.
Newspaper: One more question: The Vuelta, what are your goals and where do you finish?
Roberto Velásquez: I'm not sure whether I'll be going for the General Classification yet. I'll decide that later on. I'd be extremely happy with a stage win, and with 11 mountain finishes, I think it's not impossible for me.
Newspaper: Good luck, Roberto, thank you!
The next event in Roberto's life was The Vuelta. And it promised to be good. Coming out of suspension, Alberto Contador was the absolute favorite, but Roberto was eager on making his season even more perfect! Coming up next, the start of the Vuelta 2012! |
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| TimoCycling |
Posted on 09-10-2012 15:20
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Great report of the NC! Very nice aswell in the GP San Sebastian! Keep it up! |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 09-10-2012 15:21
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Thanks, man! I'll try |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 09-10-2012 15:21
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Vuelta à España 2012
Stage 1
Stage 1 was a team time trial. Team Colombia did the best they could and ended before top favorite Contador's team.
| 1 | Sky Pro Cycling | 18'09 | | | 2 | Orica-GreenEDGE | + 14 | | | 3 | Rabobank Cycling Team | + 25 | | | 4 | Radioshack Nissan Trek | s.t. | | | 5 | Movistar Team | + 27 | | | 6 | Astana Pro Team | + 32 | | | 7 | FDJ-BigMat | + 42 | | | 8 | Ag2r La Mondiale | + 44 | | | 9 | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | + 46 | | | 10 | Team Garmin-Barracuda | + 53 | | | 11 | Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | + 1'00 | | | 12 | Lampre-ISD | + 1'05 | | | 13 | Colombia Coldeportes | + 1'14 | IanButler | | 14 | Team Saxo Bank | + 1'22 | | | 15 | Team Europcar | + 1'28 | | | 16 | BMC Racing Team | + 1'36 | | | 17 | Lotto Belisol | + 1'44 | | | 18 | Liquigas-Cannondale | + 1'45 | | | 19 | Caja Rural | + 1'49 | | | 20 | Euskaltel Euskadi | + 1'56 | | | 21 | Andalucia | + 2'06 | | | 22 | Katusha Team | + 2'08 | |
Most important names in that Vuelta's edition were: Contador, Wiggins, Froome, Rodriguez, Valverde and Samuél Sanchez.
Roberto Velásquez had one minor advantage. Most of the competitors already had much more race days in the legs, as most of them were at the Tour. Contador, on the other hand, only had raced 2 races after coming back from his suspension. So Roberto was probably in the best shape of all.
Stage 2
A mass sprint.
| 1 | Gerald Ciolek | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | 4h00'55 | | 2 | Yauheni Hutarovich | FDJ-BigMat | s.t. | | 3 | André Greipel | Lotto Belisol | s.t. | | 4 | Theo Bos | Rabobank Cycling Team | s.t. | | 5 | José Joaquin Rojas Gil | Movistar Team | s.t. | | 6 | Kenny Van Hummel | Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | s.t. | | 7 | Ben Swift | Sky Pro Cycling | s.t. | | 8 | Matthew Goss | Orica-GreenEDGE | s.t. | | 9 | Daniele Bennati | Radioshack Nissan Trek | s.t. | | 10 | Heinrich Haussler | Team Garmin-Barracuda | s.t. |
Stage 3 would bring the first hills already. |
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| TimoCycling |
Posted on 09-10-2012 15:23
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Good result in the TTT. Staying in front of Contador is good! |
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| FreitasPCM |
Posted on 09-10-2012 16:50
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I knew you could win the Nationals. Hope Roberto can shine for the very first time in a Grand Tour, after a great performance in San Sebastian. |
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| francopell |
Posted on 09-10-2012 16:56
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Great stuff from Roberto Second in San Sebastian and hopefully he can do really well at the Vuelta. What are his goals for his first grand tour (GC maybe, or the mountain jersey?)? |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 09-10-2012 17:02
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Tour de France Champion
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TimoCycling: Thanks! TTT is always tricky, so I always quicksimulate
FreitasPCM: I hope so too, thank you
francopell: His goal(s) is mentioned in the interview. First one is a stage win, and after a week he'll see how he stands on the GC
Thanks for following! |
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| Farmer Sam |
Posted on 09-10-2012 17:06
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Will be great to see him duelling with Contador! |
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