Café de Colombia

Café de Colombia was a Colombian 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 Colombian 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. [cite web|url= http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/eta_tdf_1974_1983/tdf1983.php|title=70eme Tour de France|publisher=Memoire du cyclisme|accessdate=2007-09-09] 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. [cite web|url=http://www.memoire-du-cyclisme.net/eta_tdf_1984_1993/tdf1984.php|title=71eme Tour de France|publisher=Memoire du cyclisme|accessdate=2007-09-09] 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. [cite web|url=http://www.dewielersite.net/db2/wielersite/ploegfiche.php?id=6737|title=Café de Colombia|publisher=de wielersite|accessdate=2007-09-09]

The following year Raphaël Géminiani was team manager together with Jorge Humberto Tenjo Porras. [cite web|url= http://www.dewielersite.net/db2/wielersite/ploegfiche.php?id=6928|title=Café de Colombia|publisher=de wielersite|accessdate=2007-09-09] 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 sportifs with the team. The team stopped after 1990.

Famous cyclists

*Alfonso Flórez Ortiz
*Luis Herrera
*Fabio Parra Pinto
*Hernan Buenahora Gutierrez
*Pablo Wilches Tumbia
*Martin Ramirez

Important victories

*1985
*Stage 8 Tour de l'Avenir
*Stage 7 Vuelta a España
*Stage 11, 14 and Mountains Classification 1985 Tour de France
*Stage 3 Dauphiné Libéré
*General Classification Clasico RCN

*1986:
*General Classification Vuelta a la Costa
*General Classification Clasico RCN

*1987:
*Stage 6 Dauphiné Libéré
*General Classification Clasico RCN
*General Classification, one stage and Mountains Classification Vuelta a España

*1988:
*Clasico Centenario de Armenia
*Stage 1 Vuelta Americas
*Stage 2 part b Vuelta al Tachira
*Stage 3, 7a and General Classification Postgirot Open
*General Classification Tour of the Americas

*1990
*Clasica Duitama

References