Doping: the scourge of Colombia's cycling talent production line

Colombian cycling reached its zenith last month when pint-sized climber Egan Bernal became his country's first winner of the sport's greatest race, the Tour de France.

Colombia is riding the crest of a wave of euphoria with the likes of former Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana winner Nairo Quintana, Esteban Chaves, Miguel Angel Lopez and Rigoberto Uran all capable of challenging for victory in the sport's most prestigious Grand Tours.

At just 22, Bernal could dominate the Tour de France for years to come. But there is also a dark side to Colombian cycling that is little known: it has a sorry record on doping.

It's a sordid tale that AFP has uncovered by speaking to a former cycling team doctor, a retired cyclist, a physical trainer, an active coach and an investigative journalist.

All believe that cheating is a prerequisite to surviving in Colombia's highly competitive domestic cycling circuit.

According to the International Cycling Union, Colombia is second only to Costa Rica as the country with the most riders suspended for doping: it has 20.

Two of those -- Wilmar Paredes and Juan Jose Amador -- were caught earlier this year, precipitating the dissolution in May of Colombia's only professional cycling team, Manzana Postobon, which lost its sponsors over the doping cases.

Two months later, Bernal was crowned Tour de France champion.

- Year of shame -
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According to journalist Gustavo Duncan, talent scouts have been desperate to extract potential young stars from Colombia's domestic scene as quickly as possible to avoid "contamination."
- 'Cover up' -
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