A warm welcome to the Coldeportes HQ for the 2016 season. After two years spent in the Continental Tour as Alpina - Avianca, we have sought to rebrand following promotion to the PCT, with some government funding recognising our success as currently the only Colombian team in professional cycling and allowing our sponsorship by Coldeportes, the Administrative Department of Sport, Recreation, Physical Activity and the Use of Free Time. Despite this, our loyal sponsors Alpina, one of several dairy companies sponsoring a cycling team in the CT last year, and the national airline Avianca, remain as co-sponsors, along with Bancolombia, the national bank. Going into 2016, and facing new challenges following promotion to PCT, our goals still remain very much the same: the promotion of talent in South America, Colombia in particular, and the promotion of an attacking brand of cycling.
Spoiler
Credits to bwiggins for this excellent jersey, thank you very much!
Murilo Affonso showcases his Brazilian NC by getting in the break in the very first race of the season, the Clasico San Cristobal. Acevedo finished a very strong 3rd; an excellent start to the season
Sergio Godoy on the attack in the closing stages of Stage 2 of the Tour of the Middle East
Edison Bravo was one of the unheralded stars of 2015, always on the attack and featuring regularly in the breakaway. Here he is (on the right) in the Middle East.
Mauricio Soler attacks en route to a win on stage 6 at San Luis...
...thus sealing his overall victory in the race!
He appeared to be continuing his good form in Langkawi, here seen sprinting to 2nd place atop the Cameron Highlands. However he struggled at the tougher Genting Highlands, and later quit the race due to injury. With Soler abandoning and Forero abysmal in a sprinter's paradise of a race, Langkawi was a definite low point of the season.
However, in Azerbaijan we were back to our best: VÃctor Hugo Orozco took a somewhat surprising win in a hilly stage 2.
Even more surprising was what followed, a magnificent team attack on the next stage anticipated the moves from other, stronger favourites and defended Orozco's yellow jersey in style. With Orozco winning and Weber taking 3rd overall, this was a race to remember for Alpina!
However, this extraordinary success was followed, perhaps rather predictably, by a rather fallow period across May and June. Forero was abject in the various flat stage races and this shot of Cleberson Weber during the MTT in the Giro del Capo is about the only thing worth shouting about from that period, apart from Edison Bravo's brave breakaway efforts.
The sprint train gets organised for once in Gabon, as Forero delivered a couple of well-needed podiums in the sprint in an uncharacteristically consistent race.
At last, after a lengthy period where notable results were rather intermittent, the Acropolis Cup at the beginning of September was a key result for the promotion push. A 3-8-9-10 from Soler, Godoy, Acevedo and Weber was a much-needed points haul.
Heading in to the close of the season with a home race - our only C1 race of the season, Colombian Venteaux, and a semi-home race in the Ruta America del Sur, we were reasonably confident of a strong finish to the season after the team showing in Greece. However, we were disappointing and it was this rather futile last stage attack from Acevedo that was the only thing of note, meaning we finished agonisingly outside the top 10, one of our main goals of the season. Nevertheless promotion was just, but only just, secured with the help of some disbandments higher up the structure and we now look forward to our first season in the PCT with great anticipation!
We took a fairly conservative approach to renewals, renewing the contracts of all but three of our riders, with Arango, Chalapud and Rubiano all approaching years of decline without really having been any good in the first place anyway. Nevertheless we thank them for two years of loyal service at Alpina. Meanwhile, back in the squad despite numerous talents levelling up only Chamorro insisted on having a wage increase, although returning to us having spent a season in the PT at Red Bull - Huawei including a memorable stage win in Tirreno-Adriatico we think he probably deserves it. We were able to negotiate with riders to ensure that he was the only one with a wage over €100,000, which we are quite pleased with.
With regards to availability, the following riders will definitely be available on the transfer market (although we are willing to listen to offers for most riders).
Juan Pablo Forero Mauricio Soler Gilber Zurita
We are also considering the option of a PT loan for some of our level 4 talents, details of that may come shortly.
@Ian: Interesting indeed - looking forward to future communications!
@The Rider: Thanks, spent a while deciding whether we could be bothered to keep Forero, but he's still a decent sprinter (well... statistically anyway) for a pretty low wage I guess. All in the name of team spirit and continuity etc.
Goals
Colombian Venteaux
Win
Tour of Vancouver
Top 5
Vuelta al Tachira
Top 5
Tour d'Andorra OR Tour de San Luis
Win
PCT Team Standings
Top 15
As one might be able to see, there's a certain terrain focus for us going into the transfer season, one that one might traditionally associate with our home nation...
Three new signings are announced, who will frontline our bid to achieve pleasant mediocrity in our first year in the PCT:
Rigoberto Úran[29, €700k]
Fl
Mo
Hi
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Sp
Acc
Ftr
DH
Pro
72
82
74
78
75
81
77
55
55
71
67
62
78
Rigo riding in the colours of Bacardi at last year's Tour de France, where he finished 8th overall.
Carlos Betancourt[27, €250k]
Fl
Mo
Hi
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Sp
Acc
Ftr
DH
Pro
69
73
79
60
72
71
64
52
67
74
75
67
59
Carlos won the Tour of Beijing in 2014, including the final stage, riding for FCB - Polska
Sergio Barrio[29, €95k]
Fl
Mo
Hi
TT
Sta
Res
Rec
Cob
Sp
Acc
Ftr
DH
Pro
63
70
79
58
69
63
65
52
65
67
64
64
58
Sergio can be seen somewhere on this screen, riding a strong race in Fleche Wallonne as a domestique for Movistar - US Postal. I'm sure he will enjoy leadership opportunities in the PCT a bit more!
Of course the big news is the arrival of Úran, who justifies our heavy mountain/stage-racing focus in our goals. For the first time ever, we've been able to secure our primary target in the transfer season, although he does not come cheap. Hopefully he can use his strong time-trialling ability to complement his excellent climbing and win some important races for us in the season.
Just as Úran is Colombia's premier stage racer, Carlos Betancourt is Colombia's premier puncheur and we are delighted to welcome him on board for a wage quite a bit less than what he rode for for his former team the previous season, despite signing him from the free agency.
Finally, Sergio Barrio is the first ever rider on this team to hail from outside South America. Nevertheless, he's still Spanish so will blend in well with the time. We are very happy to welcome him from Movistar - US Postal on a transfer, and look forward to his puncheur partnership with Betancourt over the course of the season.
Best of luck to Barrio. He didn't do much for me, but hopefully he can turn things around for you. Úran is a great signing, but crazy to see all these top flight climbers going to the PCT. Will be interesting to see what he can do.
Wow, some amazing signings! Makes me instantly afraid of being in the same league
However, I'm happy we took Soler of your hands and - coming from the same region - we hope to keep our ties friendly. Perhaps we can work together in a few races, get the South Americans up the road, cooperate! I know a few who are up for a challenge. Like Rodas or someone
Murilo Affonso
Royner Grover Navarro
Edison Bravo
Fulgencio Bru
Gilber Zurita
we will be talking once the transfer season opens!
- looking forward to future communications!
Sergio Barrio 
