Four Colombians dominated the treacherous Rocky Mountains of Colorado, taking the top four spots in the Mountains classification of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge.
Bogota-born cyclist Rafael Montiel led the pack in the seven-day race, earning 31 points on the slopes. He was immediately followed by Colombian Walter Pedraza with 31 points and Rafael Infantino and Eduard Beltran, each with 20 points.
Infantino placed sixth overall in the race, finishing just one minute and 14 seconds behind the leader. His impressive finish came ahead of the top three 2011 Tour de France winners, Australian Cadel Evans and the Luxembourger cycling brothers Andy and Frank Schleck.
Beltran placed especially well among young riders, finishing in second place and three minutes and 18 seconds behind the leader. Colombian Christian Montoya was not far behind, finishing in fourth place.
Three Colombians also had top 10 finishes in the Sprint classification.
Two Colombian cycling teams, Gobernacion de Antioquia and EPM-UNE, competed in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. The 500-mile race is gaining notoriety for its Queen’s Stage, a 131-mile journey from Gunnison to Aspen, which has the two highest climbs –each more than 12,000 feet– in competitive international cycling history.
