Santiago Umba – new rider of Astana Qazaqstan Team
The young Colombian rider Santiago Umba (20) signed his first WorldTour contract with Astana Qazaqstan Team, where he is going to spend the following season (2024).
“I am incredibly happy to sign my first contract with the WorldTour team and to become a part of such a big project as Astana Qazaqstan Team. I would like to thank all the team management for this opportunity, the trust that was placed in me. I am sure that Astana is the ideal team for me, and I think that I will be able to make a great progress here. I am ready to work hardly, I am ready to gain experience at the highest level in order to become a true professional”, – said Santiago Umba.
Santiago Umba got some notable results at Under 23 level, winning stages at Tour Alsace and Le Tour de Savoie in 2021 and becoming 10th in the General Classification of the Giro Next Gen in 2023. Alongside, the rider got some valuable experience in the professional races as Il Lombardia, Tour of the Alps, Giro dell’Emilia, Vuelta a Castilla y Leon, Tour of Slovenia, Adriatica Ionica Race and others.
“We see a great potential in Santiago, that can be revealed in our team. Despite such a young age, Santiago has already ridden many important professional races, gained serious experience, which can serve as a basis for his further development. He has a number of high results at the youth level, he already knows what professional racing is, so all he needs is careful and systematic work that will allow him to reach a good level in the WorldTour”, – said Alexandr Vinokurov, General Manager of Astana Qazaqstan Team.
Photo credit: @SprintCycling