"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."

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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."

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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.”

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