A group of ten riders got away from the pack and managed to stay ahead until the finish of the 173 kilometers long course.
In the very last curve, Duarte placed his attack and beat Italian Simone Ponzi in the final sprint to take the Gold Medal. German John Degenkolb took the Bronze.
The U-23 World Championships Road Race is a prestigious event, which has been won in the past by cyclists as Ivan Basso and Yaroslav Popovych. Certainly, Duarte – who is the first Colombian to win a U-23 Road Race medal at the WC, will have attracted the attention of the world’s bigger cycling teams.
In an interview with Antena 2, Duarte said that he “can’t wait to get home and celebrate with the family,” adding that he “felt very good” during the race.
Colombia’s most recent medal at the World Championships was earned by Santiago Botero on the 2002 Time Trial in Zolder, Belgium.