Lopez Climbs to Home Ground Victory in Tour Colombia

Date: 19 February 2019 - 21:49

News ID: ۶۳۳۲۳

MEDELL?N, Colombia (AFP) - Miguel Angel Lopez has clinched victory in the Tour Colombia, leading a podium sweep for the home country.
Compatriot Nairo Quintana won the sixth and final stage, but 25-year-old Lopez's third-place finish at the summit of category one Las Palmas near Medellin was enough for a narrow four-second victory.
With an overall time of 18hr 38min 32sec, climber Lopez, racing for Astana, took victory over fellow Colombians Ivan Sosa of the Sky team and Daniel Martinez of EF Education First 42 seconds off the lead.
Lopez, nicknamed 'Superman' in Colombia, succeeds Egan Bernal who won the inaugural Tour Colombia in 2018.
"Winning the Tour is a great sensation, with all this madness, all these people, it's unique. I think I've never seen a race and a show like this," said Lopez.
The enthusiasm of the Colombian crowd got the better of them, however, when a fan running alongside the peleton tripped and fell into the path of Quintana who tumbled off his bike.
However, he recovered to take the stage, eight seconds in front of Sosa.
Four-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome finished in 91st place after crashing 2km into Saturday's penultimate stage of racing.
******Road blocks: Cyclists compete during the final stage of the Tour Colombia in Medellin