The final time most biking followers noticed Colombian veteran Rigoberto Urán in a motorbike race was a sadly memorable one, when he crashed out of this yr’s Vuelta a España within the first week breaking his hip.
But when he has something to do with it, the following time the soon-to-retire Urán (EF Training-EasyPost) is seen taking part in a serious sports activities occasion could also be in a really totally different type of competitors: on the soccer subject.
In a prolonged interview with El Colombiano, the 37-year-old racer revealed that his subsequent profession objective is to change into knowledgeable soccer participant, saying that it was an “unfulfilled dream.”
Urán was additionally not too long ago the topic of a extremely popular TV cleaning soap opera sequence – referred to as Rigo’ – about his massively eventful life, one in every of 4 worldwide nominated for a prize within the Telenovela class on the upcoming Worldwide Emmy Awards. The ultimate verdict will probably be introduced on the 52nd Worldwide Emmy Awards Gala in New York on November 25.
As for his personal goals, Urán advised El Colombiano, “I’ll dedicate myself to skilled soccer, it is an unfulfilled dream and I’ll strive it to see what occurs.”
“It is simply loopy that Rigo’ has been nominated for the Emmy Prizes, however my objective is skilled soccer. I’ve acquired nothing to lose and you understand I am off the rails however I like attempting issues out,” he laughed.
Twice second within the Giro d’Italia (2013, 2014) and as soon as within the Tour de France (2017) and a winner of phases in all three Grand Excursions, Urán was requested about his prolonged profession, which started method again in 2006 with the small Irish-registered Italian squad, Tenax when he was simply 19.
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Again then Urán, like so many different riders from his nation, was mentored by the late Marlon Pérez, the Colombian biking star who not too long ago died tragically in a violent incident within the city of Carmen de Viboral.
“He was an excellent good friend, the man who helped me to get to Europe by means of the Italian supervisor Guiseppe Acquadro. I lived with him [Pérez] for a yr and a half, and it was good as a result of that method I wasn’t alone there, and that is one thing which might get difficult in the event you’re not residing with a compatriot,” Urán stated, recalling his first years as a professional.
After switching by means of a number of groups from Unibet to Caisse d’Epargne, Sky after which QuickStep, Urán’s finest shot at getting a Grand Tour win nearly actually occurred in 2014, when he misplaced the Giro d’Italia to a different Colombian star, Nairo Quintana. Urán was ousted from the highest spot total because of Quintana shifting forward on the snow-blasted descent of the large Stelvio climb, when it was not made sufficiently clear if the race had or had not been suspended due to the very poor climate.
Urán insisted there have been no laborious emotions towards Quintana for what occurred that day, blaming himself as a lot as anyone for what occurred, and saying “I feel that everyone has to reap the benefits of their possibilities. I’m very trusting and I imagine that everyone acts like I do.”
“However the fact is when there’s a competitors you possibly can’t be trusting like that, and that is what I am telling athletes now. You possibly can’t make certain of something till you cross the end line.
“I am not blaming Nairo as a result of racing is racing. Within the Giro there was a mistake, a race organisation error. He made probably the most of it and it labored out very nicely for him. That is why I do not really feel bitter and I am not bothered about speaking about it. In the event you don’t remain alert, you may lose.”
Urán backed up his lack of laborious emotions about Quintana within the interview by naming him as one in every of Colombia’s all-time modern-day greats of the game together with Tour de France and Giro d’Italia winner Egan Bernal. Predictably sufficient, although, he positioned Tadej Pogačar (UAE Workforce Emirates) in a category of his personal, saying “I’ve by no means seen something like him in my life.”
That stated, Urán doubted that the present stars like Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) and Pogačar might attain the identical age as him and nonetheless be crushing the opposition in the way in which they at the moment do.
“It is unimaginable, as a result of these guys have been coaching at a excessive stage with their very own particular diets and making main sacrifices since they had been 14. It would be good to see, however I do not imagine it will probably occur,” he stated.
His personal exit from the game was something however supreme, however as he concluded in his interview with El Colombiano, “Fortuitously, nothing severe occurred, so to inform the reality it did not damage to go away like that.”
“I might been constructing in direction of retiring for a few years, and I’ve had numerous recognition from riders, organisers and the general public. I had deliberate to finish my profession in Madrid [in the Vuelta] however I’ve had numerous assist from my household, group and mates, and I’ve had 20 years within the sport, through which time I might do every thing. So I am leaving it feeling at peace with myself.”
