Dramatic final stage sees Carlos Betancur clinch Paris-Nice victory
First South American winner of "Race to the Sun" is overjoyed
Carlos Betancur became the first South American cyclist to win the Paris-Nice race following the eighth and final stage on Sunday.
French champion Arthur Vichot won the stage – raced along Nice’s famous Promenade des Anglais – which saw several contenders, including Portugal’s road race world champion Rui Costa, involved in a pile-up 300 metres from the finish.
Costa was able to remount and cycle gingerly to the finishing line of the “Race to the Sun”, to finish second overall.
I am a very quiet person. My passion is cycling and competing in it. I respect all my rivals but I am afraid of nobody.
Colombian Betancur, 24, won his first stage race at WorldTour level, although he finished an impressive fifth in last year’s Tour of Italy.
“I have received great support from my team-mates while I have held the overall lead,” said Betancur, who won two stages during the week.
However, Betancur made light of his being the first rider from his continent to win a race he described as only second to the Tour de France in importance in France.
“This victory is very important for me and my team,” he said.