Colombian cycling has received devastating news in recent hours, with the confirmation of the death of Germán Chaves, a talented rider who tragically lost his life in a traffic accident while training on the roads of Cundinamarca.
The tragic event took place near the municipality of Chocontá, Chaves' place of origin. According to the authorities, the driver of a truck suffered a microsleep, which caused him to invade the lane where the cyclist was.
This tragedy not only took the life of the young cyclist, but also claimed the life of his father, who accompanied him during his training and was seriously injured. Although he was taken to a medical center in the municipality of Chía, unfortunately he could not overcome his injuries.
This was Germán Chaves.
Germán Chaves, born on March 9, 1995 in Chocontá, had an outstanding career in professional cycling. In 2014, he achieved third place in the youth classification of the Vuelta a Colombia, marking his entry into the world of elite cycling. A year later, he repeated the same result in the Tour de San Luis, held in Argentina.
Subsequently, Chaves was crowned runner-up in the under-23 category during the 2017 National Road Championships, where he participated in the time trial. In addition, that same year, he took the victory in the first stage of the Vuelta de la Juventud.
In 2018, he proved his worth by finishing second in the youth classification of the Vuelta a Aragón, as well as taking third place in the mountain classification of the Vuelta Comunidad de Madrid.
Throughout his career, Germán Chaves represented prominent teams such as Coldeportes-Zenú and EPM-Scott before joining his last team, Sistecrédito. The latter expressed its sorrow in a statement, bidding farewell to the talented rider and sending an urgent message about the safety of cyclists in the country.
The tragic loss of Germán Chaves leaves a deep void in Colombian cycling. His promising future and dedication to the sport had made him an admired figure on and off the roads. His sudden departure reminds us of the importance of taking measures to ensure the safety of cyclists and to raise awareness among all road actors about the need to respect and protect those who share the roads (information about Germán Chaves via Antena 2).
The memory of Germán Chaves will remain in the heart of the cycling community and his legacy will serve as a constant reminder of the risks that cyclists still face on our roads. CyclingUpToDate would like to extend it's condolences to friends and family of Germán.
#QEPD | 🚴🏻♂️🖤 La Revista Mundo Ciclístico y su Director Héctor Urrego C. lamentan profundamente el fallecimiento de Germán Chaves, joven ciclista del @TmSistecredito que murió atropellado por un camión este domingo en carreteras de #Cundinamarca. 🚴🏻♂️🖤
