Gaviria wins opening stage of Colombia Oro y Paz

In a way, it would have been an anticlimax had Fernando Gaviria not won. Had it not been a Colombian, in any case. After weeks of anticipation and build-up, where national pride has bubbled over, the Colombia Oro y Paz got underway on Tuesday and followed the perfect script.

Gaviria was imperious in Palmira on what was a short and flat opener to the six-stage race. Such was the dominance of his Quick-Step Floors team on the last of nine laps of a city circuit that Juan Sebastián Molano (Manzana Postobon) was the only rider capable of getting past Gaviria's lead-out man Max Richeze in the run to the line.

Much of the excitement surrounding this new race stems from the fact that it's the first of its kind in Colombia. It's 2.1 status – la dos punto uno has become the unofficial nickname – flips the model of Colombians heading to Europe to reach the upper echelons of the sport, and instead brings the international peloton to Colombian soil.

So it may seem strange to suggest an international winner wouldn't have been welcomed as warmly, but this race is very much a celebration of Colombia itself – of a landmark moment not only for the cycling landscape but also the country as a whole. In that sense, Gaviria, already a huge star internationally, was the perfect poster boy for the first day. He won't keep the leader's jersey – coloured the pink of the ubiquitous Manzana Postobon soft drink – when the hills appear later this week, but the president of the cycling federation has openly said he hopes a Colombian is wearing it when the race concludes atop Manizales on Sunday.

"This victory is very different, both for me and for the public," noted Gaviria after a rapturous welcome on the podium. "They don't always have the opportunity to travel to see their idols compete in Europe, and today they're here, at home, to venerate their own riders and their heroes."

The wider significance of the event was laid bare that morning with the presence of the president of the Republic of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos, who waved the race underway.

He made reference to the name of the race, specifically Paz – peace. Colombia has been ravaged by violence in recent years but a 2016 peace deal between the state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has set the country on a journey from narco-state to an open, safe, and modern nation.

"Having an event of this category in a sport that Colombians love so much, and having the presence of the best riders and teams in the world, it's going to open the door not only to more professionals but also to tourists. It's also a demonstration that peace is working, that peace is opening up a different path," Santos said.

Dressed in a polo shirt and baseball cap, he showed his common touch as he made his way onto each of the team buses to speak with the riders, though he became increasingly presidential as he spoke with the media.

"This race is the work of a lot of people, and that's what makes Colombia a great country. It's when people unite around something, something that unites all of us. Sport has that great virtue. It unites all Colombians. It doesn't matter what we think of one another but when we see our stars out there, we are all united, and when we unite no one can stop us."

So while Gaviria raised his arms after nine laps of an 11.1km circuit, Miguel Rubiano mopped up the intermediate sprints from a breakaway of five riders, and Nairo Quintana suffered a late crash (but finished safely in the peloton), those finer details didn't seem to matter as much as the fact that this bike race was simply taking place. And that a Colombian won.

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