OFFICIAL: Vuelta a Espana stage winner makes surprise WorldTour exit as Caja Rural - Seguros RGA pull off major transfer coup
CyclingThursday, 17 September 2026 at 13:05
Sergio Higuita will be part of the Caja Rural - Seguros RGA squad for the next two seasons. The Colombian rider, born in Medellín in 1997, joins the Navarre-based team after eight seasons at the highest level of cycling and will bring a significant amount of experience to a team that continues to strengthen its roster and demonstrate its ambition to grow. A major move in the cycling transfer market.
Higuita joins Caja Rural-Seguros RGA after a season in which he finished ninth at the Tour de Suisse and accumulated close to 500 UCI points on a calendar focused almost exclusively on WorldTour events. At 29 years old, the Colombian begins a new stage of his career with the intention of regaining the prominence he previously enjoyed in some of the biggest one-week stage races and Classics on the international calendar.
During his eight seasons at the top level, Higuita has represented EF Education-EasyPost, Bora-hansgrohe and XDS Astana. During that period, he has taken stage victories at the Vuelta a España, where he won in Becerril de la Sierra, as well as stage wins at the Tour de Romandie and Itzulia Basque Country.
One of the biggest results of his career came in 2022, when he won the overall classification at the Volta a Catalunya after a close battle with Richard Carapaz. His qualities as a climber, combined with his ability to perform well in small groups, have allowed him to achieve major results both in stage races and Classics.
Higuita has 10 pro wins across a career with Astana, BORA - hansgrohe and EF
Higuita wants to become a protagonist again
The Colombian is clear about the kind of races he wants to target after joining Caja Rural-Seguros RGA. His best results have come precisely in one-week races and one-day Classics, two areas where he hopes to rediscover his best form.
“My best results have come in one-week races and one-day Classics. I want to set myself those objectives again and try to do epic things,” explains Higuita, who also highlights his attacking nature when he is in good form.
The new Caja Rural-Seguros RGA rider particularly remembers his victories in Catalunya and at the 2019 Vuelta a España, achieved after long-range attacks. “When I’m going well, I really like trying to be an aggressive rider, attacking from far out and not being afraid,” he says.
His relationship with Caja Rural-Seguros RGA also goes back a long way. Higuita was already following the team during his first years as a professional, when he raced for Manzana Postobón, and highlights the development of a structure he has always considered competitive and close-knit.
“Ever since I became a professional, when I was with Manzana Postobón, I have seen Caja Rural-Seguros RGA as a very strong team, one that was always on the podium and, especially, as a very family-oriented team, which is something I really like as well,” he explains.
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Experience for a young squad
Higuita’s arrival also means adding a rider with extensive experience in the European peloton. The Colombian has competed in four editions of the Tour de France and another four of La Vuelta, as well as spending eight seasons with teams at the highest level.
That experience will be one of his main assets within his new team. Higuita believes he can transmit confidence and calm to the younger riders and help them especially in high-pressure situations. “I already have a lot of experience in European cycling, so I think I can transmit confidence and calm,” he says.
The Colombian also focuses on the importance of remaining composed in decisive moments and of bringing “confidence, motivation and happiness” to his teammates.
In that sense, Higuita wants to bring part of his personality and his way of understanding cycling to the team. “I hope to bring that Colombian attitude. We are happy people. I especially consider myself a very empathetic person who wants to share with his teammates,” he says.
His objective will be to combine that experience with the competitive demands of a team that has a high-level racing programme. The Colombian intends to compete again for important results in the races that suit him best while, at the same time, helping the development of the riders around him.
“I’m going to wear the green and white as if it were my flag”
Higuita has also found a special connection with the colours of his new team. Caja Rural-Seguros RGA’s green and white are the same colours as Antioquia, the Colombian region where he lives, something which carried symbolic weight in his decision.
“There is something special, and that is that the team’s colours are green and white, just like the region where I live, Antioquia in Colombia. I’m going to wear them as if they were my flag, with all my heart,” he explains.
The Colombian rider therefore begins a new chapter after almost a decade at the highest level. He arrives with Grand Tour experience, WorldTour victories and the objective of once again playing a leading role in one-week races and the Classics.
“I’m super motivated. It’s a project where I want to do the best I possibly can, from the heart,” says Higuita, who also asks for the support of the fans during this new stage. "There will be days with a lot of fighting, but there will definitely be some very beautiful days as well,” he concludes.
Juan LarraCycling Journalist
Juan Larra is a writer for Cyclinguptodate and editor-in-chief of Ciclismoaldia, where he has played a central role since its inception. Under his leadership, the website has become a trusted source for professional cycling coverage, offering in-depth analysis, news, and feature stories.
A sports journalist with over 20 years of experience, Juan earned his degree in Journalism from the University of Seville in 2007. He began his career covering a wide range of sports—including football, basketball, Formula 1, MotoGP, tennis, and cycling—for platforms such as the official La Liga app, Vodafone and Movistar websites, NBA Blogdebasket, and Cadena Cope, honing his skills in writing and editorial management.
In addition to his work at Ciclismoaldia, Juan contributes to Cyclinguptodate and serves as editor-in-chief for the tennis-focused site Tenisaldia. Throughout his career, he has conducted exclusive interviews with cyclists and sports figures, provided detailed analysis of competitions ranging from local Spanish races to major international events, and acted as a special correspondent at prestigious races including Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France, and the Vuelta a España.
Juan’s combination of experience, expertise, and direct access to athletes has established him—and the platforms he leads—as authoritative voices in professional cycling.
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