Café de Colombia
Encyclopedia
Café de Colombia was a Colombia
n based professional road bicycle racing
Cycling team
active from 1985 to 1990. The team was sponsored by the Colombian coffee
growers Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia
.
The team came into existence just as Colombia
n cyclists were achieving successes in Europe. This started with a Colombian National Cycling team entering and winning the Tour de l'Avenir
in 1980 with Alfonso Florez. The 1983 Tour de France
was the first time that the race was “open” to accommodate amateurs to compete. As a result, the Colombian cyclists were able to compete in a Colombian national cycling team. The following year the Colombian national team, with sponsorship from Varta batteries, returned to the 1984 Tour de France
where Luis Herrera
, still an amateur, won the stage to the Alpe d'Huez
. After these successes, a professional cycling team was set up that would give contracts and a chance of success in Europe
to Colombian cyclists. In 1985 this team was called Café de Colombia-Pilas Varta-Mavic and had as manager José Raúl Meza Orozco. The team was composed of 24 riders from Colombia, 20 of which Café de Colombia had given them their first professional contracts, which included Luis Herrera
and Fabio Parra
.
The following year Raphaël Géminiani
was team manager together with Jorge Humberto Tenjo Porras. In 1987 the team, under the guidance of team manager Rafael Antonio Niño
and directeur sportif
Roberto Sánchez, obtained perhaps its greatest success in 1987 when Luis Herrera
won the Vuelta a España
. Pedro Pablo Valdivieso Ayala and José Gabriel Castro Medina would also be directeur sportif
s with the team. The team stopped after 1990.
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n based professional road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
Cycling team
Cycling team
A cycling team is a group of cyclists who join a team or are acquired and train together to compete in bicycle races whether recreational or professional - and the supporting personnel...
active from 1985 to 1990. The team was sponsored by the Colombian coffee
Colombian coffee
Colombian Coffee is a protected designation of origin granted by the European Union that applies to the coffee produced in Colombia. The Colombian coffee has been recognized worldwide as having high quality and distinctive taste...
growers Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia
Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia
The Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia , often abbreviated Fedecafé, is a non-profit business association, popularly known for its "Juan Valdez" marketing campaign. The federation was founded in 1927 as a business cooperative that promotes the production and exportation of Colombian coffee...
.
The team came into existence just as Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n cyclists were achieving successes in Europe. This started with a Colombian National Cycling team entering and winning the Tour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir
Tour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
in 1980 with Alfonso Florez. The 1983 Tour de France
1983 Tour de France
The 1983 Tour de France was the 70th Tour de France, run from 1 to 22 July 1982 in 22 stages and a prologue, over a total distance of 3862 km., won by French rider Laurent Fignon. Sean Kelly of Ireland won the green jersey, and Lucien Van Impe of Belgium won the polka dot jersey...
was the first time that the race was “open” to accommodate amateurs to compete. As a result, the Colombian cyclists were able to compete in a Colombian national cycling team. The following year the Colombian national team, with sponsorship from Varta batteries, returned to the 1984 Tour de France
1984 Tour de France
The 1984 Tour de France was the 71st Tour de France, run over 4020.9 km in 23 stages and a prologue, from 29 June to 22 July 1984.French rider Laurent Fignon won his second consecutive Tour, beating former teammate Bernard Hinault by over 10 minutes. Hinault was pursuing his fifth Tour...
where Luis Herrera
Luis Herrera
Luis Alberto "Lucho" Herrera Herrera known as "el jardinerito" is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist...
, still an amateur, won the stage to the Alpe d'Huez
Alpe d'Huez
L'Alpe d'Huez is a ski resort at . It is a mountain pasture in the Central French Alps, in the commune of Huez, in the Isère département in the Rhône-Alpes region.-Tour de France:L'Alpe d'Huez is one of the main mountains in the Tour de France...
. After these successes, a professional cycling team was set up that would give contracts and a chance of success in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
to Colombian cyclists. In 1985 this team was called Café de Colombia-Pilas Varta-Mavic and had as manager José Raúl Meza Orozco. The team was composed of 24 riders from Colombia, 20 of which Café de Colombia had given them their first professional contracts, which included Luis Herrera
Luis Herrera
Luis Alberto "Lucho" Herrera Herrera known as "el jardinerito" is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist...
and Fabio Parra
Fabio Parra
Fabio Enrique Parra Pinto is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist. Parra was successful as an amateur in Colombia, winning the Novatos classification for new riders or riders riding their first edition of the race, and finishing 14th in the 1979 Vuelta a Colombia and then the General...
.
The following year Raphaël Géminiani
Raphael Geminiani
Raphaël Géminiani is a French former road bicycle racer. He had six podium finishes in the Grand Tours. He is one of four children of Italian immigrants who moved to Clermont-Ferrand. He worked in a cycle shop and started racing as a boy...
was team manager together with Jorge Humberto Tenjo Porras. In 1987 the team, under the guidance of team manager Rafael Antonio Niño
Rafael Antonio Niño
Rafael Antonio Niño Munévar is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist. He won the Vuelta a Colombia in 1970. After that he became a professional cyclist from 1973 to 1974. He participated in the Giro d’Italia...
and directeur sportif
Directeur sportif
A directeur sportif is a person directing a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event...
Roberto Sánchez, obtained perhaps its greatest success in 1987 when Luis Herrera
Luis Herrera
Luis Alberto "Lucho" Herrera Herrera known as "el jardinerito" is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist...
won the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
. Pedro Pablo Valdivieso Ayala and José Gabriel Castro Medina would also be directeur sportif
Directeur sportif
A directeur sportif is a person directing a cycling team during a road bicycle racing event...
s with the team. The team stopped after 1990.
Famous cyclists
- Alfonso Flórez OrtizAlfonso Flórez OrtizAlfonzo Flórez Ortiz was a Colombian road racing cyclist who was a professional from 1985 to 1987, where he rode for the Colombian professional cycling team Café de Colombia team....
- Luis HerreraLuis HerreraLuis Alberto "Lucho" Herrera Herrera known as "el jardinerito" is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist...
- Fabio Parra Pinto
- Hernán BuenahoraHernan BuenahoraHernán Buenahora Gutíerrez is a Colombian road racing cyclist, who was nicknamed El Cabrito de Barichara during his career...
- Pablo Wilches Tumbia
- Martin RamirezMartín Ramírez (cyclist)Martín Alonso Ramírez Ramírez is a Colombian former road bicycle racer.-External links:*...
Important victories
- 1985
- Stage 8 Tour de l'AvenirTour de l'AvenirTour de l'Avenir is a French road bicycle racing stage race, which started in 1961 as a race similar to the Tour de France and over much of the same course but for amateurs and for semi-professionals known as independents. Riders competed in national teams...
- Stage 7 Vuelta a EspañaVuelta a EspañaThe Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
- Stage 11, 14 and Mountains Classification 1985 Tour de France1985 Tour de FranceThe 1985 Tour de France was the 72nd Tour de France, taking place June 28 to July 21, 1985, over 4109 km in 22 stages and a prologue.Bernard Hinault would attempt to equal the records of Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx who had each won the Tour de France five times. Hinault was unable to...
- Stage 3 Dauphiné LibéréDauphiné LibéréThe Critérium du Dauphiné is an annual cycling road race, run over eight stages in the Dauphiné region in France during the first half of June. The race was inaugurated by a local newspaper, the Dauphiné Libéré, which gave its name to the event...
- General ClassificationGeneral ClassificationThe general classification in bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage bicycle races...
Clasico RCNClásico RCNThe Clásico RCN is an annual cycling road race that takes place over many stages through different regions of Colombia during October...
- 1986:
- General ClassificationGeneral ClassificationThe general classification in bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage bicycle races...
Vuelta a la Costa - General ClassificationGeneral ClassificationThe general classification in bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage bicycle races...
Clasico RCNClásico RCNThe Clásico RCN is an annual cycling road race that takes place over many stages through different regions of Colombia during October...
- 1987:
- Stage 6 Dauphiné LibéréDauphiné LibéréThe Critérium du Dauphiné is an annual cycling road race, run over eight stages in the Dauphiné region in France during the first half of June. The race was inaugurated by a local newspaper, the Dauphiné Libéré, which gave its name to the event...
- General ClassificationGeneral ClassificationThe general classification in bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage bicycle races...
Clasico RCNClásico RCNThe Clásico RCN is an annual cycling road race that takes place over many stages through different regions of Colombia during October... - General ClassificationGeneral ClassificationThe general classification in bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage bicycle races...
, one stage and Mountains Classification Vuelta a EspañaVuelta a EspañaThe Vuelta a España is a three-week road bicycle racing stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages...
- 1988:
- General Classification Dauphiné LibéréDauphiné LibéréThe Critérium du Dauphiné is an annual cycling road race, run over eight stages in the Dauphiné region in France during the first half of June. The race was inaugurated by a local newspaper, the Dauphiné Libéré, which gave its name to the event...
- Clasico Centenario de Armenia
- Stage 1 Vuelta Americas
- Stage 2 part b Vuelta al Tachira
- Stage 3, 7a and General ClassificationGeneral ClassificationThe general classification in bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage bicycle races...
Postgirot Open - General Classification Tour of the Americas
- 1990
- Clasica Duitama