Flower farms thrive in Colombia in large part because of the country’s high altitude — a characteristic that, as it turns out, also helped create the ideal training conditions for a future cycling champion.
Over the weekend, Egan Bernal, 22, became the youngest athlete to win the Tour de France since 1909 and the first champion ever from Colombia. Bernal was born in Zipaquirá, outside of Bogotá and a number of his family members have worked for flower growers, including his mother, who graded cut flowers for export.
“I think it’s going to take me a few days to realize what I have done,” a tearful Bernal said. “This is the first Tour de France for Colombia. It’s not just mine, but for everyone. Our country deserves it.”
José Restrepo, the general manager of Ayurá SAS – Pride and Eclipse Flowers near Bogotá, said Bernal’s victory feels like a countrywide celebration. For the last 10 years, Bernal’s uncle, Alvaro Bernal, has worked for a security company that contracts with area flower farms, including Ayurá-Pride and Eclipse.
“The Bernal family has always been linked to cycling,” Restrepo said, noting that Alvaro rides his bike to work regularly, a journey of nearly 40 miles round trip. “Through the years, Egan has visited on several occasions and it’s common to see Alvaro’s brother, Egan’s father, waiting for him when he leaves work to go out and practice this beautiful sport.”
In a Wall Street Journal story profiling Bernal, reporter Kejal Vyas underscored the point that “cycling is a religion for many in this South American nation of 49 million, whose rugged mountains and winding roads are a natural breeding ground for riders.”
Vyas also wrote that “Bernal’s win had special meaning for Zipaquirá. Nestled between rolling green hills a mile and a half above sea level, it’s known best for its farm land, flower nurseries and a cathedral inside a salt mine, which is a tourist attraction.
“Training at high altitude has made Bernal a fierce competitor in the steep climbs of the French Alps,” Vyas explained later in the story. “But the balance and quick steering he perfected on the mountain bike have helped him also dominate the high-speed kamikaze descents in road-biking competitions.”
As for Restrepo, he said he and his fellow Colombians are eager to congratulate their new champion in person.
“I sincerely hope that we will soon have him among us to celebrate and show him our appreciation for our country’s name so high,” he said.
Mary Westbrook is the editor in chief of Floral Management.
