The Colombian Cycling Federation announced their cycling team for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, naming Daniel Martínez (Bora-Hansgrohe) for the time trial and road race and Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) for the road race only. The federation selected Paula Patiño (Movistar) for the sole entry for the women's road race.
The inclusion of Giro d'Italia runner-up Martínez, the reigning Colombian time trial champion, was not much of a surprise, but Bernal's presence on the roster represents the country's faith that he has overcome the serious injuries from his crash in 2022 that have plagued his performance until this year.
Bernal is currently third overall at the Tour de Suisse and finished third overall in the Volta a Catalunya and O Gran Camiño earlier this season. He also has a limited history of performances in one-day races, taking third in Il Lombardia in 2019 behind compatriot Esteban Chaves.
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Bernal and Martínez were teammates with Ineos before Martínez moved to Bora-Hansgrohe this season.
While Patiño represented Colombia in the Tokyo Olympics, it will be an Olympic debut for both Bernal and Martínez.
"The criteria taken into account for the election of Paula, Daniel and Egan were related, among others, with the technical analysis of the UCI ranking in the last two years, prior to Paris 2024; the participations in the major races of the WorldTour circuit in both branches in the 2023 and 2024 seasons; the results obtained in the elite National Road Championships in the 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 seasons, and the technical analysis of the routes in which the competitions will take place in the French capital," the announcement stated.
"Paula Patiño, who belongs to the Spanish Movistar Team, and who has just won the National Road Championship title this season, competed in the last Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020, where she placed 22nd in the event, this being the best Olympic performance in women's road for our country in history."
The country also announced its team for the track and mountain bike events, announcing the surprise return of sprinter Fernando Gaviria to the velodrome. The Movistar rider last raced track on an international level in 2016 when he won his second world title in the Omnium and placed fourth in the same event at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Colombia qualified two positions for the individual sprint and Keirin and one for the Omnium, which Gaviria will fill.
Kevin Quintero and Cristian Ortega will compete in the Keirin and Sprint, while Martha Bayonne and Stefany Cuadrado will compete in the women's Keirin and Sprint.
Diego Alfonso Arias Cuervo will represent Colombia in the men's Cross Country MTB event on July 28 at Elancourt Hill outside Paris.
