CYCLISTS from Colombia

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Colombian Cyclists of all time. This list of famous Colombian Cyclists is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Colombian Cyclists.

1. Luis Herrera (b. 1961)

With an HPI of 43.62, Luis Herrera is the most famous Colombian Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages on wikipedia.

Luis Alberto "Lucho" Herrera Herrera, known as "El jardinerito" ("the little gardener"; born May 4, 1961, in Fusagasugá, Colombia), is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist. Herrera was a professional from 1985 to 1992 but had a successful amateur career before that in Colombia. He entered his first Vuelta a Colombia in 1981 where he finished 16th overall and 3rd in the New Rider competition. Although he abandoned his second Vuelta a Colombia in 1982, he won Colombia's second major stage-race, the Clásico RCN. In 1983 Herrera won Clásico RCN again as well as two stages and finished second overall to Alfonso Florez Ortiz in the 1983 Vuelta a Colombia. In 1984 he won the Vuelta a Colombia, and the Clásico RCN. In 1984 he won stage 17 to Alpe d'Huez in the 1984 Tour de France, becoming the first Colombian to win a stage of the race, and the first amateur cyclist to win a stage in the history of the Tour de France. He won the Vuelta a Colombia and the Clásico RCN four times each. His greatest achievement was in 1987, when he won the Vuelta a España, the first South American to win a Grand Tour. Herrera also won the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré in 1988 and 1991. Herrera won five "King of the Mountains" jerseys from the three Grand Tours. He is the second rider to win the King of the Mountains jersey in all three Grand Tours. The first was Federico Bahamontes of Spain.

2. Nairo Quintana (b. 1990)

With an HPI of 41.61, Nairo Quintana is the 2nd most famous Colombian Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 34 different languages.

Nairo Alexánder Quintana Rojas, ODB, (born 4 February 1990) is a Colombian racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Movistar Team. Nicknamed "Nairoman" and "El Cóndor de los Andes", Quintana is a specialist climber, known for his ability to launch sustained and repeated attacks on ascents of steep gradient, high power output and great stamina to react and endure others' attacks. He is also a competent time triallist, making him a consistent contender for general classification at stage races. His best career results are winning the 2014 Giro d'Italia and 2016 Vuelta a España, as well as 2nd place overall in the Tour de France of 2013 and 2015. In addition to his two Grand Tour victories he has also placed in the top 10 on twelve occasions, six of which were on the podium. His multiple wins in other major stage races, leading to high UCI WorldTour ranking placements at the end of each season, are other reasons why he is seen as one of the most successful stage-racing riders of the recent era, and the best road cyclist in Colombian history. His brother Dayer Quintana is also a professional cyclist and rode for the Movistar Team with Nairo between 2014 and 2018, and again at Arkéa–Samsic between 2020 and 2022.

3. Egan Bernal (b. 1997)

With an HPI of 39.26, Egan Bernal is the 3rd most famous Colombian Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 36 different languages.

Egan Arley Bernal Gómez (born 13 January 1997) is a Colombian professional cyclist who rides for UCI WorldTeam Ineos Grenadiers. In 2019 he won the Tour de France, becoming the first Latin American rider to do so, and the youngest winner since 1909. At the 2021 Giro d'Italia, Bernal took his second Grand Tour win.

4. Rigoberto Urán (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 38.71, Rigoberto Urán is the 4th most famous Colombian Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 29 different languages.

Rigoberto Urán Urán, ODB (born 26 January 1987) is a Colombian professional road racing cyclist who rides for UCI WorldTeam EF Education–EasyPost. During his professional career, Urán has taken fifteen victories, including stage wins at each of the three Grand Tours, and won a silver medal in the road race at the 2012 Olympic Games. He became the first Colombian ever to make the podium of the Giro d'Italia, when he finished second behind Vincenzo Nibali in the 2013 edition of the race, having taken leadership of Team Sky following the abandonment of team captain Bradley Wiggins. He also won a mountain-top stage in that race with a solo breakaway. The previous year, he had won the white jersey for best young rider, and a seventh-place finish overall. In the 2014 Giro d'Italia he finished second again in the general classification, this time behind countryman Nairo Quintana. At the 2017 Tour de France, Urán won the ninth stage and finished second overall, fifty-four seconds down on race winner Chris Froome.

5. Santiago Botero (b. 1972)

With an HPI of 38.42, Santiago Botero is the 5th most famous Colombian Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Santiago Botero Echeverry (born October 27, 1972) is a Colombian former professional road bicycle racer. He was a pro from 1996 to 2010, during which he raced in three editions of the Tour de France and four editions of the Vuelta a España (the Tour of Spain). He is best known for winning the mountains classification in the Tour de France, and the Time Trial World Championship 2002.

6. Miguel Ángel López (b. 1994)

With an HPI of 34.61, Miguel Ángel López is the 6th most famous Colombian Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 26 different languages.

Miguel Ángel López Moreno (born February 4, 1994) is a Colombian cyclist, who last rode for UCI Continental team Team Medellín–EPM. In 2016, López won his first World Tour stage race at the Tour de Suisse and achieved his maiden grand tour stage victory the following season on Stage 11 of the Vuelta a España, followed by another victory on Stage 15. He was the overall winner of the Tour Colombia and the Volta a Catalunya in 2019. In 2020, he won the "Queen" stage of the Tour de France.

7. Félix Cárdenas (b. 1973)

With an HPI of 34.27, Félix Cárdenas is the 7th most famous Colombian Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 18 different languages.

Félix Rafael Cárdenas Ravalo (born November 24, 1973, in Encino, Santander) is a Colombian former road bicycle racer, who competed both as an amateur and as a professional between 1995 and 2014. He previously rode for UCI Professional Continental team Barloworld until the team's demise in 2009. In the 2001 Tour de France, Cardenas took one of the biggest victory of his career on the mountainous stage 12. He crossed the line solo in Ax-les-Thermes, with Roberto Laiseka and Lance Armstrong rounding the podium. He performed his trademark victory salute, standing on the pedals with arms raised high in the air.

8. Esteban Chaves (b. 1990)

With an HPI of 34.21, Esteban Chaves is the 8th most famous Colombian Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Jhoan Esteban Chaves Rubio (born 17 January 1990) is a Colombian professional road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam EF Education–EasyPost. Born in Bogotá, Chaves has competed as a professional since the start of the 2012 season, having signed for the Colombia–Coldeportes team as a neo-pro, after three seasons as an amateur with the Colombia es Pasión–Coldeportes team. Chaves is a two-time grand tour podium finisher, and a monument winner.

9. Daniel Felipe Martínez (b. 1996)

With an HPI of 33.69, Daniel Felipe Martínez is the 9th most famous Colombian Cyclist.  His biography has been translated into 24 different languages.

Daniel Felipe Martínez Poveda (born 25 April 1996) is a Colombian professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe.

10. Mariana Pajón (b. 1991)

With an HPI of 32.15, Mariana Pajón is the 10th most famous Colombian Cyclist.  Her biography has been translated into 28 different languages.

Mariana Pajón Londoño ODB OLY (born 10 October 1991) is a Colombian cyclist, two-time Olympic gold medalist and BMX World Champion. She won her first national title at age 5 and her first world title at 9. Overall, she is the winner of 14 world championships, 2 national championships in the United States, 9 Latin American Championships and 10 Pan American championships. She also won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, on 10 August 2012, as well as in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. She is the first Colombian to win two Olympic gold medals. Pajón's achievements in BMX have earned her the nickname "Queen of BMX". Named Colombian Athlete of the Year in 2011, a BMX circuit built in Medellin was named for her, and was the venue where she won the 2016 BMX World Championships. She was selected to be the flag-bearer for Colombia at the 2012 Summer Olympics at the Opening Ceremony.