Manizales, Colombia, Feb 11 (EFE).- Climber Egan Bernal won the first Colombia Oro y Paz race, which ended with Dayer Quintana’s triumph in the last stage, along the 187.7 kilometers (116.6 miles) of the route between Armenia and Manizales.
Recent Colombian National Time Trial Championship and 2017 Tour de l’Avenir winner Bernal, 21, completed the race in 20 hours 49 minutes and three seconds, nine seconds ahead of Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and 11 seconds in front of Rigoberto Uran (EF Drapac).
In the last stage, ending in a first category mountain pass at the Chipre tower, in Manizales, Dayer Quintana led the race with a time of 4 hours 22 minutes 11 seconds.
Bernal and Sebastian Henao (Sky) came in second and third, respectively, both 10 seconds behind the the winner.
This is Bernal’s first triumph since he joined the Sky team, led by British four-time Tour de France winner and Vuelta de España champion Christopher Froome.
In Sunday’s stage, a group of 33 cyclists led by veteran Spanish-Colombian Oscar Sevilla (Medellin Inder) and Quintana, beat out the main peloton by four minutes.
Argentine Adrian Richeze (Virgen de Fatima), like his brother Maximiliano (Quick Step), withdrew from the race.
Sky’s Bernal and Henao and Movistar’s Quintana passed Contreras in the final moments, winning the race.
Bernal is also the winner of the young rider and mountain classification, but the overall winner of all three stages was Fernando Gaviria. EFE