"He will not want his career to go out with a whimper" - Jonathan Vaughters expects big things from Rigoberto Uran in his final year

With Rigoberto Uran's career coming to an end in 2024, the boss of EF Education-EasyPost, Jonathan Vaughters has paid tribute to one of his team's most recognisable riders.

“Rigoberto is going to leave a big hole. He’s irreplaceable when it comes to personality and leadership but we’ve already started making steps towards that," Vaughters has told GCN, referencing the fact that the 36-year-old Colombian is absent from the team's pre-season training camp in Spain this week. "He was so busy in Colombia over the winter we decided that it would be better to leave him to deal with that."

A true superstar back in his native Colombia, Uran recently held the latest edition of the Giro de Rigo, starred by Wout van Aert. The former Tour de France runner-up also has recently had a soap opera about his life story made, showing the interest in him.

Whilst EF Education-EasyPost will undoubtedly miss the presence of such a character, Vaughters is confident the team can continue progressing without Uran. "I don’t feel any palpable difference within the team. The culture in this team is so strong, and Rigoberto is a great part of that and added a lot to it, but there are so many other components," Vaughters said. "From everything that I’ve seen at this camp, his happy spirit will live on."

With the Olympic Games set to be the conclusion of Uran's career, Vaughters doesn't expect the two-time Giro d'Italia runner-up to depart the sport quietly. Rather, the American is expecting Uran to go out with a bang.

"It’s hard to say what his fitness is like but he will want to leave a final stamp on pro cycling before he retires. He’s a very proud person so he will not want his career to go out with a whimper," Vaughters assesses. "I don’t know where, how, or in which race but there will be a day when he wants to do something and properly say goodbye to his fans with a big performance.”