Rigoberto Urán took everyone by surprise by not attending the training camp of EF Education-EasyPost in Spain this week. However, despite the imminent retirement of the Colombian next summer, team manager Jonathan Vaughters remains confident that Urán will still deliver great performances in 2024.
At 36 years old, Urán has had a long and illustrious career, with stage victories in all three Grand Tours and a second-place overall finish in the 2017 Tour de France, as well as two stage wins in the Giro d’Italia (2013 and 2014).
Rigoberto Urán did not attend the Training Camp in Spain.
“Rigoberto will leave a big void. He is irreplaceable when it comes to personality and leadership, but we have already started taking steps in that direction,” Vaughters told the British site GCN when discussing the rider’s absence.
“He is not here at the Training Camp, for example. He has been so busy in Colombia during the winter that we decided it would be better to let him take care of that.”
Vaughters believes that Urán’s long-time presence in the team will be missed, but the atmosphere within the camp has maintained the team’s spirit and culture.
“I don’t feel any palpable difference within the team. The culture in this team is very strong, and Rigoberto is a big part of it and added a lot, but there are many other components,” said Vaughters.
Farewell Schedule in 2024
Urán’s schedule for 2024 has not been announced yet, and only at the end of December will his program be confirmed. He could be significant in the Spring Classics and Grand Tours, but one certainty, according to Vaughters, is that the Colombian will want to entertain his fans before retiring.
“It’s hard to say how his physical preparation is, but he will want to leave a final mark on professional cycling before retiring. He is a very proud person, so he won’t want his career to end with tears.
“I don’t know where, how, or in which race, but the day will come when he will want to do something and bid farewell to his fans with a great performance.”
