Volta a Catalunya – Stage 7 – Jarlinson Pantano: «I proved that I could be with the best»

The Tour of Catalonia ended in style in the streets of Barcelona.  Following a final circuit around the beautiful city and in balmy 25 degree temperatures, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) raised his arms once more in victory.  The Spanish rider won the sprint out of a very small peloton ahead of Bryan Coquard (Europcar). Richie Porte, proving himself a very solid leader for Sky, maintained his place in the overall classification and will step on the top step of the podium as the overall victor.  Jarlinson Pantano took part in the final sprint and nabbed a 4th place on the stage for his efforts.  The IAM Cycling rider from Colombia was pleased with his performance.  Having been able to highlight his talents as a climber throughout the week, and staying at the front of the race during the decisive moments of the event, Pantano secured an 11th place overall, which is a strong signal for how much he can expect in his upcoming races.

When assessing his race throughout this entire week in Catalonia, Jarlinson Pantano did not attempt to restrain the joy he felt upon arriving at the finish line.  “I am really happy.  I was able to accomplish this through the help of my teammates who were always by my side, and worked for me this whole Tour of Catalonia.  I only wish I could have done a little better today, but it does not really matter.  I finished 11th overall and for that I thank all my teammates individually, as well as the team managers, mechanics, masseurs, really everyone, because it is above all due to them that I was able to get this result.”  This is indeed a very encouraging result for the Colombian rider, who looks forward to building on it throughout the rest of the season.  With this performance, Pantano discovered that he is capable of competing with the best riders in the peloton.  He has earned himself a legitimate place among the strongest.  “I am satisfied with my condition. I say that because with the form I have right now, I was still able to fight among the best.  I hope my progress will continue.”

Pantano as well as the rest of his IAM Cycling teammates, were due quite a lot of praise after this difficult week.  The directeur sportif Thierry Marichal declared himself very satisfied by the team’s mentality and hard work during the Tour of Catalonia.  “I can only draw a positive conclusion from this race,” the Belgian Marichal said, referring to the spirit of the team.  “Thanks to the team work throughout the stage, the team secured an 11th place overall and a 4th place for the stage.  If I had to think back to one thing to highlight, it would be that Pantano was able to confirm that he is a very good climber, and a strong racer in general.  But also the positive state of mind, and to find that is very important for the future.”