Colombian cyclist Walter Vargas secured his seventh gold medal, the fourth consecutive, in the elite time trial at the Panamerican Road Championships in Montería. Jerónimo Calderón added bronze in under-23. Colombia leads the medal table with two golds, one silver, and two bronzes.
During the second day of the Panamerican Road Championships in Montería, 33-year-old Walter Vargas dominated the elite men's time trial over 43.1 km on Avenida Circunvalar. Averaging 52.8 km/h, he finished in 48 minutes, 56 seconds, and 03 hundredths, ahead of Mexico's Eder Frayre (49:50:41) and Uruguay's Antonio Fagundez (50:08:11). “I expected stronger wind on the outbound leg, but the conditions I found allowed me to push harder and win again at the Panamerican. This result brings me closer to the World Championships in Canada, where I hope to compete in good shape,” said Vargas, eyeing the September Worlds in Canada. Antioquian Jerónimo Calderón from Copacabana, Vuelta al Porvenir champion, earned bronze in under-23 over 36 km with 43:10:22, behind Mexicans Sebastián Ruiz (42:02:05) and José Juan Prieto (42:46:33). Fellow Colombian Juan Diego Quintero placed sixth at 43:55.86. Colombia tallies two golds (Vargas in elite men and José Manuel Posada in junior men), one silver (Estefanía Castillo in junior women), and two bronzes (Lineth García in junior women and Calderón in under-23), topping the medal table. Road races move to Cereté on Friday, March 20: junior women 67 km (5 laps of 13.4 km) and men 120.6 km (9 laps). The event ends Sunday.
