"We are very excited that the race is back on the calendar" - Esteban Chaves delighted to be racing on home soil once again

Esteban Chaves is part of the EF Education-EasyPost squad that will be competing in this week's Tour Colombia and is understandably delighted to be racing on home soil.

The veteran climber believes it is very important for the country that the race continues to develop in the coming years, stating that "we are very excited that the race is back on the calendar, I hope it continues to be so, that all the companies continue to support us, because this event is very important for the country, for cycling, for us, for the young people and for the fans as you are seeing. It is very nice for us to compete here and it fills us with illusion".

When asked about what his teammates thought about Colombia, he said that "they are in love, not only my teammates but also the foreigners, they are already thinking that other years they have to come, that they have to repeat the race, some are already thinking of buying a house, it's incredible what this type of event can do for the country".

EF Education arrives at the Tour Colombia with a very strong team, which in addition to Chaves includes the likes of Rigoberto Urán, Richard Carapaz, Andrey Amador, Jefferson Cepeda and Andrea Piccolo. He is quite clear about his and the team's objective in the race, as he said that they will "go for everything".

At 34 years of age and with an incredible career in Europe that includes podiums in the Vuelta a España and the Giro d’Italia, as well as stage victories in both grand tours, Chaves hopes to have a good season in support of Carapaz, who is looking to take big wins this year after a difficult season in 2023.