Mark Cavendish’s rival Fernando Gaviria aims for WorldTour and Tour de France
Tour de San Luis sprint sensation Fernando Gaviria has already attracted interest from WorldTour teams


Mark Cavendish will see more of Fernando Gaviria in the coming years as the 20-year-old Colombian aims to join a WorldTour team by 2016. Already, five top-tier squads have enquired about signing him.
"This year, I can't make any moves. I'm under contract through 2015 with Colombia-Coldeportes, and I want to fulfil it," he told Ciclismo Internacional.
"My dream is to race the Tour de France, and I'll talk to interested teams for the 2016 season."
Gaviria said that since he beat Cavendish – considered one of cycling's best sprinters with 25 Tour de France wins – in head-to-head matches at the Tour de San Luis that first division began knocking at his door.
"He shot out early to beat Cavendish," Claudio Corti, general manager of team Colombia told Cycling Weekly.
"He was doing the same thing in the Tour de L'Avenir last year, but fading. Now he's winning. He can go far, he just needs to work on that sprint and mature."
>>> Mark Cavendish loses second sprint to Fernando Gaviria in Tour de San Luis
The Italian manager said that his second division team has had an eye on Gaviria since last year. Since winning stage one and stage three, however, first division teams are interested, as well.
"I'm in the best shape of my life," Gaviria said.
"I did not know what to expect in San Luis, but once I won the first stage, my confidence grew. Everyday, I'm learning more about myself as a rider and as a person."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rCfFwQYldSQ
Gaviria comes from La Ceja in west-central Colombia, just south of Medellín, at 2200 metres. He first believed he would be a climber like the famous Colombians Nairo Quintana and Rigoberto Urán, but he was dropped in races. His father Hernando, who runs the Clecilja Club, took him to the track.
His speed took him to the 2012 Junior Worlds, where he won the Madison and Omnium. At the London World Cup in December, he won the Omnium. The rest of the month, however, he trained to be ready for San Luis.
"He's a track rider, so he's very fast and he can go super long," Cavendish said.
"Being able to sprint from a distance like that is a sign of a track rider. It's very impressive."
Cavendish won the Madison World title in 2005 and 2008 before completely switching to the road.
Gaviria will switch to the road, too. He is building towards the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, but after the Track Worlds on February 18 to 22 he will race the Under 23 Tour of Colombia, the Tour de L'Avenir and the road World Championships in Richmond, Virginia.
Along the way, he could secure a contract with a first division team for 2016 that will see him sprinting against Marcel Kittel, André Greipel and Cavendish. First, however, Gaviria will face Cavendish for another time in stage seven on Sunday in the Tour of San Luis.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Gregor Brown is an experienced cycling journalist, based in Florence, Italy. He has covered races all over the world for over a decade - following the Giro, Tour de France, and every major race since 2006. His love of cycling began with freestyle and BMX, before the 1998 Tour de France led him to a deep appreciation of the road racing season.
-
-
Five talking points from stage eleven of the Giro d’Italia 2022
The Cycling Weekly highlights package from the stage which finally saw an Italian win at the home race this year
By Luke Friend • Published
-
Strava acquires injury prevention app Recover Athletics to provide personalised prehab
Evidence-based exercises are claimed to help athletes stay injury-free
By Anna Marie Hughes • Published
-
Mark Cavendish confident of strong Giro d'Italia but attempts to manage expectations: 'People seem to forget I had a punctured lung at the end of November'
The Manxman seemed motivated in the press conference as he returns to the Italian Grand Tour after a nine-year hiatus
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Mark Cavendish frustrated on final Tour of Oman stage as Jan Hirt wins overall
Sprinter boxed out on stage six finish, as Fernando Gaviria triumphs
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Mark Cavendish loses green jersey and fined at Tour of Oman ahead of stage six
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl penalised by race jury for being pushed back to peloton by car
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Mark Cavendish crashes 'quite heavily' on stage five of Tour of Oman
Jan Hirt takes stage win and race lead atop Green Mountain on the penultimate day
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Mark Cavendish raring to get 2022 campaign underway at Tour of Oman: 'It doesn't matter how you're going until you compare yourself with the other people'
Cavendish starts his 2022 campaign at the the Tour of Oman on Thursday
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Mark Cavendish set to return from Ghent Six crash with season debut at Tour of Oman
Cavendish has recovered from the two broken ribs and punctured lung he suffered at the end of November to lead Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl in Oman
By Ryan Dabbs • Published
-
Police search for two men in connection to Mark Cavendish aggravated burglary case
Police have asked people to come forward if they know their whereabouts
By Jonny Long • Published
-
Man charged with robbery at Mark Cavendish's house
A 30-year-old will appear in court today after armed men broke into the cyclist's home last month
By Ryan Dabbs • Published