I am proud to say that Colombian blood runs through me; my parents migrated from Medellín, Colombia to New York, and although I was born in Queens, I spent six years of my childhood there. While our country is known for great climbers like Nairo Quintana and Sergio Henao, I sympathize more with fast boys like Fernando Gaviria, since my genetics and natural build give me no other choice. Growing up I have been fortunate to have the unconditional love & support of my family, I am truly grateful for the way I’ve been raised, I owe them everything.

I got into cycling at the age of sixteen, when I started working at a local bike and skate shop in Queens after school hours. While in Europe and other parts of the world, kids start riding track bikes at the velodrome, New York introduced me to racing through the “fixie” scene, riding track bikes around the city for fun and racing alley cats. It was exciting and adrenaline filled, but the risk wasn’t worth it. Luckily, I soon learned that Kissena Velodrome, a 400 meter track built for the 1964 Olympic Trials, was only 20 minutes away from home. It’s nothing fancy, but the atmosphere was great, and I picked up the skills and tactics quickly; in 2013 I began racing track and little did I know this would change my life. After that first season, I started looking into other disciplines like road and cyclocross, I saved up for my first road bike— a 2013 Specialized Tarmac Race— and the next year I signed up for over 20 races, I was hooked.

Now at home, my Mom and Grandma are the head of the household, they run a tight ship, and among many lessons they taught my little brother and me the meaning of hard work and discipline. I can’t thank them enough for this. So when I decided to take cycling more seriously, the dedication and work ethic were already there (Thanks Mom!). Indoor training during the winter, fast group rides, and riding with stronger cyclists gave me a good base to come in hot into the racing season; one podium led to another and in 2016 I earned my Category 2 upgrade. Shit got real, I was making my way to the big leagues.

At the end of the 2016 road season, Iron Hill Criterium in West Chester was my first ever Pro race, this event made me realize that I wanted to target pro crits. The next year I found a coach, put even more hours into training, and began my pursuit to become a Category 1 road racer and get picked up by a team that would target the USA Pro Crits. Having a coach made all the difference, I had the best results that year; at Intelligentsia Cup in Chicago, I missed the 3rd Place in the General Classification by one point, but I also earned my Category 1 upgrade. I checked the box on that goal, now all I needed was a team.

This year I have a contract with Butcherbox Cycling, an Elite Road Team based in Boston, Massachusetts and founded by Steve Cullen and Beth Everhart, awesome people whose infectious passion and excitement cannot be turned down. We will be traveling all over the country following the USA Crits calendar among other professional races; I look forward to what my new teammates have to teach me, and the support they can provide while I chase that BIG WIN. I am also planning a comeback to track cycling and will work my way to the UCI races at The Valley Preferred Cycling Center, A.K.A.” T-Town”. I am beyond excited for this new chapter and I want all of you to follow my wheel and hang on tight through this crazy journey of bike racing!