Bohórquez extends with Astana after injury-hit debut season

Hernando Bohórquez will remain at Astana Pro Team in 2020 after signing a one-year contract extension with the Kazakhstani team. The Colombian arrived at Astana from Manzana Postobon ahead of the 2019 campaign, but his season was blighted by the injuries he sustained in two separate crashes.

Bohórquez suffered a back injury following his crash on stage 5 of Tour Colombia 2.1 in February. Although he completed the race, he would not return to competitive action until June. The 27-year-old’s season ended prematurely when he suffered a facial injury after crashing at the GP de Fourmies in early September.

“I want to thank the team for this new opportunity. It means a lot for me after a hard year with all these crashes and health problems,” Bohórquez said in a statement released by Astana. “I really like Astana Pro Team as I feel here like in a family. I am ready and motivated ahead of the upcoming season.”

A native of Umbita in the department of Boyaca, Bohórquez was 7th in the under-23 road race at the 2014 World Championships in Ponferrada and he was part of the Manzana Postobon team that participated in the 2018 Vuelta a España, where he reached Madrid in 93rd place overall. 

A strong climber, he was signed by Astana to serve as a domestique for his compatriot Miguel Angel Lopez. Bohórquez helped Lopez win the Tour Colombia 2.1 in February, but he did not line out alongside his leader at the Giro d’Italia or Vuelta.

“Unfortunately, Hernando had a year full of bad luck. He started it with a bad crash and back injury which forced him to miss more than two months of racing and finished with another crash, which closed his season. But, at the same time, he impressed us at the Tour of Colombia with the way he helped Miguel Angel Lopez and with his team spirit,” said Astana general manager Alexandre Vinokourov.

“We hope Hernando will recover in the best possible way both, physically and mentally and we would like to give him one more chance in the upcoming season. I believe, he can surprise us.”