Sergio Higuita is an old-fashioned cyclist: he trains, rests and eats properlyHe has no secrets, but he has a mindset that is consistent with his goals.
«For me to skip a workout, there must be a very serious storm.. For the rest, nothing", he says in the middle of a calm and relaxed chat in the Cyclist's House, a heavenly place built by Mauricio Ardila. As a visionary of the needs of the modern age, The former Rabobank rider has designed villas in the middle of the mountainous landscape of Antioquia, located 2.200 meters above sea level.
In Mauricio Ardila's Cyclist's House, Higuita is now practically at home At the Cyclist's House, accommodation and bungalows for altitude training Mauricio Ardila Cano, born in 1979, was a pro from 2004 to 2011. Here with his wife and children In 2010, Ardila raced the Giro d'Italia: here at Plan de Corones, in the time trial won by Garzelli In February, at Ardila's house there were also Dumoulin and Bouwman, first on the finish line in Potenza at the Giro
In Mauricio Ardila's Cyclist's House, Higuita is practically at home At the Cyclist's House, accommodation and bungalows for altitude training Mauricio Ardila Cano, born in 1979, was a pro from 2004 to 2011. Here with his wife and children In 2010, Ardila raced the Giro d'Italia: here at Plan de Corones, in the time trial won by Garzelli In February, at Ardila's house there were also Dumoulin and Bouwman, first on the finish line in Potenza at the Giro
Escape from the city
Many guests frequent its facilities, from national cyclists to Colombian WorldTour professionals like Harold Tejada and Daniel Arroyave. And even international athletes who have changed their European habits, like Tom Domoulin and Koen Bouwman, protagonists of the winning breakaway in the eighth stage of the Giro d'ItaliaBoth enjoyed the benefits of a place that quickly became the home of Sergio Higuita and his family.
The national champion is very clear that To be a top-level cyclist, he must get away from the distractions of the city and the distractions that surround the lives of the athletes who make the country a world-famous destination.
Nothing by chance
His routine is simple. He gets up, warms up, and goes over the details with Don Leo (Leonardo Higuita, his father), his trusted assistant and road guide. The man who never takes his eyes off him and controls the traffic to ensure his workouts run smoothly.
There is not a single casual detail in the professional life of the last winner of the Volta Catalunya, who after having had a brilliant first half of his debut with Bora-Hansgrohe, has started to prepare the objectives for the second part of the season, which will have as its main objective the Vuelta a EspañaSergio will not be at the Tour de France. The leader of the great French race will in fact be Russian Alexander Vlasov.
Leader at the Vuelta
Sergio, by decision taken together with the team, designed the calendar for be a leader in Return. And maybe, if all goes well, to compete in the World Cup in Australia.
«We are already making progress – says the Antioquian, the first Colombian to wear the shirt of the prestigious German team – the truth is that I missed this week because of the holidays, but there is plenty of time to prepare for the next objectives, namely the Tour of Switzerland, the Vuelta Burgos and the Vuelta España. We are motivated because the first part of the season went very well, thanks to the team who placed a lot of trust in me.
«The working style – he continues – is one hundred percent compatible with me and so is the mentalityI'm very happy to have done this way in the first part of the season and happy to be back in Colombia with my family, giving myself a break to face the second part of the season with all the predisposition and desire.
"We're going to the Vuelta with a big goal," emphasizes the two-time national road champion, who made his debut in the Grand Tours at the Vuelta. He made his mark there with a magnificent victory in Becerril de la Sierra.
«We hope that the experience I gained by participating in three major Tours "It will help me for this occasion. I'm going without pressure and to have fun. The Vuelta is a very beautiful and interesting race," assures the Colombian, who explained why he is not at the starting line of the Giro d'Italia or the Tour de France.
Giro-Tour: why not…
«Initially I didn't choose the Giro, because I always like to have a very intense start to the season, doing three races a week and then the classics, which are very important to me. That way I would arrive too strong at the Giro, where you need to be at a more relaxed level," he says about the Corsa Rosa.
«And as for the Tour de France, This year's route is very complicated, especially the stage on the cobblestonesI'm not afraid, but I think the team needs a different kind of man to defend the leaders they will bring. Not so much climbers, but rather athletes of good stature like Nils Polit or Jordi Meeus, who are Roubaix riders and can assist Vlasov, the Tour leader, very well. The route is for men weighing more than 63 kilos. There are very windy stages and very powerful climbs. The team gives me the freedom to choose the calendar, and for this reason I decided to exclude the Tour. But I will definitely be at the Giro next year, a race I would really like to do.».
Objective Wollongong
As for the World Cup, one of his dreams since he was a professional, it's part of the plan. In Harrogate (England) he finished fourth in the under-23 category, while among the elite he would like to put in an exceptional performance.
«We have to wait for the team's decision, but I think that if I have the opportunity to go, I can do well. It's a difficult World CupWe have very strong riders, so we can also look for opportunities to do well. The team likes that I represent Colombia, they like having many national champions and that their cyclists race for their countries."
