The 2026 National Road Cycling Championships concluded this Sunday, February 8 on the roads of Cundinamarca, leaving a balance of 12 new national champions after four intense days of competition.
The contest closed with a flourish in the elite men’s long-distance event, where Egan Bernal demonstrated his validity by winning the national title after a demanding 209.9-kilometer route starting and finishing at the Mirador de las Salinas de Zipaquirá.
Bernal sealed his victory with a time of five hours, 25 minutes and six seconds, launching a decisive attack in the final stretch that allowed him to lead Iván Ramiro Sosa by seven seconds, while Juan Felipe Rodríguez completed the podium.
The gran Fondo activity also crowned Laura Daniela Rojas in the elite women’s category during the day on Saturday.
The 22-year-old cyclist from Huila won the route between Sopó and Guasca with a record of three hours, 27 minutes and 38 seconds, managing to surpass Camila Valbuena and the experienced Diana Peñuela.
On that same day, Risaraldense William Colorado won the men’s under-23 crown after an accurate attack in the final meters of the 124.5 kilometer route, beating Jaider Muñoz and Cristian Vélez in an exciting finish.
The success of the championships began to take shape last Thursday with the individual time trial (ITT) tests.
Egan Bernal and Laura Rojas consecrate themselves in historic National Route 2026
In the elite category, Brandon Rivera dressed in gold in Zipaquirá by stopping the clock in 47 minutes and three seconds on a 44-kilometer route, sharing honors with Daniel Felipe Martínez and Rodrigo Contreras.
For her part, Diana Peñuela confirmed her dominance in the women’s specialty by registering 32 minutes and 54 seconds, leaving the silver to Camila Valbuena and the bronze to Stefanía Sánchez.
In the training categories for the CRI, the triumphs of Samara Bedoya and Jerónimo Calderón in the under-23 category stood out, as well as Estefanía Castillo and José Manuel Posada in the youth category.
The long-distance events for the youth and under-23 women’s categories took place at the Autodromo de Tocancipá on Friday.
Juan Esteban Sánchez and Salomé Vargas won the youth titles after dominating their respective circuits, while Luciana Osorio led the women’s under-23 podium in a massive finish where Diana Corrales and Yalecza Marín obtained the same time as the winner.
With these results, Colombian cycling closes a week of high technical level that reaffirms the talent of the new promises and the hierarchy of international figures like Bernal and Rivera on the national scene.
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