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Esteban Chaves
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Jhoan Esteban Chaves Rubio (born 17 January 1990) is a Colombian professional road bicycle racer, who currently rides for UCI WorldTeam EF Education–EasyPost.[8] Born in Bogotá, Chaves has competed as a professional since the start of the 2012 season, having signed for the Colombia–Coldeportes team as a neo-pro,[9] after three seasons as an amateur with the Colombia es Pasión–Coldeportes team. Chaves is a two-time grand tour podium finisher, and a monument winner.
Career
[edit]Early career
[edit]
As an amateur, Chaves was the winner of the French Tour de l'Avenir race in 2011, a race previously won by five future winners of the Tour de France. Chaves had been part of the breakaway on the first road stage of the race, taking the mountains jersey after the stage.[10] He surrendered that lead to Garikoitz Bravo the next day, but reclaimed the lead on the third stage, having led the field over the Grand Ballon.[11] Bravo took the lead again after the fourth stage until the end of the race, but Chaves moved into contention for the overall honours with several top-ten stage finishes,[12] and trailed race leader David Boily by seven seconds before the final stage, in Alba, Italy. Chaves was part of a four-rider breakaway that moved clear of the field after the penultimate climb, and although he was beaten to the line by Warren Barguil and Mattia Cattaneo, Chaves's third place, coupled with a 24-second time gap to the field, allowed him to win the race by 17 seconds.[13]
Colombia–Coldeportes (2012–13)
[edit]Chaves turned professional with the newly formed Colombia–Coldeportes team for the 2012 season,[14] as his former team Colombia es Pasión–Café de Colombia returned to the domestic ranks in Colombia. He competed in several of the early-season Italian races, including Tirreno–Adriatico, but withdrew from the race on the penultimate day. After finishing 18th in his home race, the Vuelta a Colombia, Chaves returned to Europe for the Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia single-day race in the Basque Country. Chaves made an attack with 10 km (6.2 mi) remaining but Euskaltel–Euskadi's Gorka Izagirre shadowed his move, with Izagirre eventually beating Chaves in the sprint finish.[15] Chaves continued his form into the Vuelta a Burgos, where he won the final stage of the race. Team Sky team-mates Rigoberto Urán and Sergio Henao animated the field on the final climb to Lagunas de Neila, and only Chaves was able to follow the pair; Chaves ultimately beat his former team-mate to take his first professional victory on the line, and allowed him to finish the race in third place overall.[16] The following weekend, Chaves took victory in the Gran Premio Città di Camaiore in Italy, from a five-rider group, after forming the group with Italian national champion Franco Pellizotti of the Androni Giocattoli–Venezuela team, on the Monte Pitoro climb.[17]
Chaves suffered severe injuries in a crash at the Trofeo Laigueglia in February 2013. The team doctor revealed that he had a compound fracture to his right clavicle, fractures in his left petrous bone, right cheekbone, maxillary sinuses and sphenoid bone, and also received pulmonary compressions, abrasions and suspected rib fractures.[18]
Orica–GreenEDGE (2014–2021)
[edit]Chaves moved to the Orica–GreenEDGE team for the 2014 season, on an initial two-year contract.[19]
2015
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At the Vuelta a España, Chaves won stage 2 by outsprinting Tom Dumoulin (Team Giant–Alpecin) and Nicolas Roche (Team Sky) at the summit of the final third category climb of Caminito del Rey. By doing so he took the overall race lead.[20] Chaves lost the race lead on stage 5, as he was caught out in a split in the peloton at the finish and dropped 6 seconds to Dumoulin.[21] However, on stage 6 Chaves attacked 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) from the summit of the final climb to Sierra de Cazorla and held off Dan Martin (Cannondale–Garmin) and Dumoulin by five seconds for his second stage win and retake the race lead.[22] During the Vuelta Chaves extended his contract for a further three years.[23] He eventually finished the Vuelta in fifth place overall.[24]
2016–2017
[edit]2016 was a strong season for him as he finished second in the Giro d'Italia and third in the Vuelta a España. On 1 October, Chaves won Il Lombardia, his – and Colombia's – first victory in one of cycling's "monuments".[25]
In June 2017, he was named in the startlist for the Tour de France.[26] He struggled at the event, eventually finishing 62nd in the general classification, almost two-and-a-half hours down on winner Chris Froome.[27] He returned to the Vuelta a España later in the year. He showed good form in the opening stages,[28] but later slipped back to finish eleventh overall.[29]
2018
[edit]Chaves started his 2018 campaign at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, before starting the Herald Sun Tour. He broke away from the peloton at the final ascent of the penultimate stage, taking the victory and the lead in the overall classification.[30] He held on to his lead to win the event overall the next day,[31] his second victory in a stage race. Chaves also rode the Giro d'Italia as his season highlight, winning stage 6.
2019
[edit]On 31 May, Chaves won stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia from the breakaway, his first victory in over a year.[32]
EF Education–EasyPost
[edit]After eight seasons with Team BikeExchange and its precursors, Chaves signed for the EF Education–EasyPost team for the 2022 season.[33]
Major results
[edit]- 2006
- 2nd Road race, National Novice Road Championships
- 2009
- 1st Stage 1 Vuelta a Cundinamarca
- 2010
- 5th Overall Circuito de Combita
- 2011
- 1st
Overall Tour de l'Avenir - 1st Stage 1 Clásica Club Deportivo Boyacá
- 3rd Overall Circuito de Combita
- 2012 (2 pro wins)
- 1st Gran Premio Città di Camaiore
- 1st
Young rider classification, Vuelta a Colombia - 2nd Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia
- 3rd Overall Vuelta a Burgos
- 1st
Young rider classification - 1st Stage 5
- 1st
- 5th Memorial Marco Pantani
- 6th Road race, UCI Under-23 Road World Championships
- 2014 (2)
- 1st Stage 8 Tour de Suisse
- 3rd Overall Tour of Beijing
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st
- 4th Overall Tour de Langkawi
- 7th Overall Tour of California
- 1st Stage 6
- 2015 (4)
- 1st
Overall Abu Dhabi Tour
- 1st Young rider classification
- 1st Stage 3
- 1st
- Giro d'Italia
- 1st Stage 1 (TTT)
- Held after Stage 4
- 5th Overall Vuelta a España
- 1st Stages 2 & 6
- Held after Stages 2–4 & 6–8
- Held
after Stages 2–3 & 7–14 - Held
after Stage 2 - Held after Stages 2–8
- 8th Giro di Lombardia
- 2016 (3)
- 1st Giro di Lombardia
- 1st Giro dell'Emilia
- 2nd Overall Giro d'Italia
- 1st Stage 14
- Held
after Stage 19
- 3rd Overall Vuelta a España
- 9th UCI World Tour
- 2017
- 2nd Overall Tour Down Under
- 9th Overall Herald Sun Tour
- 2018 (3)
- 1st Overall Herald Sun Tour
- 1st Stage 3
- Giro d'Italia
- 1st Stage 6
- Held
after Stages 6–8
- 2019 (1)
- 1st Stage 19 Giro d'Italia
- 6th Overall Tour of Slovenia
- 2020
- 4th Overall Vuelta a Burgos
- 5th Time trial, National Road Championships
- 7th Overall Tour Colombia
- 2021 (1)
- 3rd Grand Prix of Aargau Canton
- 6th Overall Volta a Catalunya
- 1st
Points classification - 1st
Mountains classification - 1st Stage 4
- 1st
- 8th La Flèche Wallonne
- 9th Overall Tour of the Basque Country
- 10th Overall Tour de Suisse
- 2022
- National Road Championships
- 2nd Time trial
- 3rd Road race
- 2nd Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge
- 4th Coppa Sabatini
- 5th Giro della Toscana
- 6th Overall Tour de Langkawi
- 7th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné
- 9th Overall Tour of Norway
- 2023 (1)
- 1st
Road race, National Road Championships - 2024
- 8th Overall Tour Colombia
- 2025
- 4th Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica
- 8th Overall Tour of Austria
General classification results timeline
[edit]| Grand Tour general classification results | ||||||||||||||
| Grand Tour | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Giro d'Italia
|
— | — | — | 55 | 2 | — | 72 | 40 | — | — | — | — | 35 | |
 Tour de France
|
— | — | — | — | — | 62 | — | — | 23 | 13 | — | DNF | — | |
 Vuelta a España
|
— | — | 41 | 5 | 3 | 11 | — | 19 | 27 | — | DNF | — | — | |
| Major stage race general classification results | ||||||||||||||
| Race | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
| Paris–Nice
|
— | — | — | — | — | — | DNF | 51 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
 Tirreno–Adriatico
|
DNF | — | — | — | 30 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 40 |
 Volta a Catalunya
|
— | — | 46 | 13 | 48 | — | DNF | 34 | NH | 6 | 44 | 11 | 22 | |
| Tour of the Basque Country
|
— | — | 101 | 21 | — | — | — | — | 9 | — | 12 | 16 | ||
| Tour de Romandie
|
Has not contested during his career | |||||||||||||
 Critérium du Dauphiné
|
— | — | — | — | — | 26 | — | — | — | — | 7 | 32 | — | |
| Tour de Suisse
|
— | — | 16 | 14 | — | — | — | — | NH | 10 | — | — | — | |
Monuments results timeline
[edit]| Monument | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milan–San Remo | Has not contested during his career | |||||||||||
| Tour of Flanders | ||||||||||||
| Paris–Roubaix | ||||||||||||
| Liège–Bastogne–Liège | — | — | — | 68 | — | — | — | — | — | 14 | — | 45 |
| Giro di Lombardia | DNF | — | — | 8 | 1 | — | — | 70 | — | — | — | 75 |
| — | Did not compete |
|---|---|
| IP | In progress |
| DNF | Did not finish |
| NH | Not held |
References
[edit]- ^ "Jhoan Esteban Chaves". Tour de France. Amaury Sport Organisation. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
- ^ ""Chavito" getting to like it!". Colombia–Coldeportes. Libero. 11 August 2012. Archived from the original on 20 January 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ "Tour de France 2017 power rankings: Riders #6-3". Velonews. Competitor Group. 28 June 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
- ^ "Colombia-Coldeportes (COL) – COL". UCI Continental Circuits. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 7 April 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ "Mitchelton-Scott finalise 25-rider roster for 2019". Cyclingnews.com. Immediate Media Company. 15 November 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- ^ "Wins from January to October: Mitchelton-Scott men confirm roster and goals for 2020". Mitchelton–Scott. New Global Cycling Services. 11 December 2019. Archived from the original on 2 January 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2020.
- ^ "GreenEDGE Cycling". UCI.org. Union Cycliste Internationale. Archived from the original on 1 January 2021. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
- ^ "EF Education–EasyPost". UCI. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ Stokes, Shane (6 December 2011). "Complete Colombia-Coldeportes 2012 roster finalized, team to push for big invites". VeloNation. VeloNation LLC. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ "Hofland wins from break in Lunéville". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 5 September 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ "Hepburn takes second stage at Tour de l'Avenir". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 7 September 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ "Colombia defends Tour de l'Avenir title". Cycling News. Future Publishing Limited. 12 September 2011. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ Stokes, Shane (12 September 2011). "Chaves seals Tour de l'Avenir win for Colombia". VeloNation. VeloNation LLC. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ "Colombia-Coldeportes 2012 roster completed". Colombia–Coldeportes. Libero. 9 January 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ "Izagirre triumphs in Spain". Yahoo! Eurosport. TF1 Group. 25 July 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ "Outstanding Chaves' premiere at Vuelta a Burgos". Colombia–Coldeportes. Libero. 5 August 2012. Archived from the original on 19 January 2013. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ "Camaiore, festa Chaves; Bravo Pellizotti: è terzo" [Camaiore, a party for Chaves; Bravo Pellizotti: third]. La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). RCS MediaGroup. 11 August 2012. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
- ^ Moore, Kyle (18 February 2013). "Colombia's Johan Esteban Chaves recovering after Trofeo Laigueglia crash". VeloNation. VeloNation LLC. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
- ^ "Orica GreenEdge sign Esteban Chaves". Cyclingnews.com. Future plc. 18 October 2013. Retrieved 16 December 2013.
- ^ McVeigh, Niall (23 August 2015). "Esteban Chaves wins second stage to take overall Vuelta a España lead". The Guardian.
- ^ "Caleb Ewan takes maiden Grand Tour victory on Vuelta a España stage five - Cycling Weekly". 26 August 2015.
- ^ "Esteban Chaves regains Vuelta a España lead from Tom Dumoulin". The Guardian. Reuters. 27 August 2015.
- ^ Windsor, Richard (8 September 2015). "Esteban Chaves earns extended contract with Orica-GreenEdge after Grand Tour breakthrough". Cycling Weekly. Time Inc. (UK) Ltd. Retrieved 8 September 2015.
- ^ "Fifth place overall for Chaves at the Vuelta a España - Cyclingnews.com". 14 September 2015.
- ^ "Giro di Lombardia: Esteban Chaves beats tearful Diego Rosa". BBC. 1 October 2017. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- ^ "2017: 104th Tour de France: Start List". Pro Cycling Stats. Retrieved 28 June 2017.
- ^ Fletcher, Patrick (23 July 2017). "Chaves fights through setbacks to make Paris in Tour de France debut". cyclingnews.com. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- ^ "Esteban Chaves impresses on challenging Vuelta a Espana stage into Gruissan". Eurosport. 21 August 2017. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- ^ "Chris Froome completes Tour de France - Vuelta a Espana double". cyclingnews.com. 11 September 2017. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 26 February 2018.
- ^ Woodpower, Zeb (3 February 2018). "17 kilometre attack nets Chaves his first win since 2016". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
- ^ "Chaves seals Herald Sun Tour overall victory". Cycling Weekly: 14. 8 February 2018.
- ^ "Relentless Esteban Chaves takes summit finish victory on stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia 2019". 31 May 2019.
- ^ "EF Education-Nippo signs Esteban Chaves". 9 August 2021.
External links
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Esteban Chaves.
- Esteban Chaves at UCI
- Esteban Chaves at Cycling Archives
- Esteban Chaves at ProCyclingStats
- Esteban Chaves at Cycling Quotient
- Esteban Chaves at CycleBase
- Esteban Chaves at Olympedia
- Esteban Chaves at AS.com (in Spanish)
Esteban Chaves
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Early life and amateur career
Early years
Jhoan Esteban Chaves Rubio was born on January 17, 1990, in Bogotá, Colombia, to parents Jairo and Carolina Chaves.[8][1] His father, a carpenter specializing in wooden furniture, played a pivotal role in shaping his early interests, often watching international cycling events like the 1995 World Championships with the family and encouraging physical activities to counter the stresses of urban life in Bogotá.[9] Growing up in a modest household amid Bogotá's economic constraints and bustling city environment, Chaves faced limited resources that made extracurricular pursuits challenging, yet cycling emerged as an accessible family endeavor. His father introduced him to the sport around age 13 by registering him for a local duathlon and lending him a bike, transforming it into a shared activity with his brother Bryan to promote fitness and escape daily hardships.[8][9][10] The family pooled their savings to acquire basic equipment, turning these outings into a bonding ritual that emphasized perseverance over material means.[8] Chaves began initial training through informal rides on Bogotá's surrounding hills, joining a local cycling club shortly after his duathlon experience to build endurance in a structured setting. His slight build—standing at 1.64 meters and weighing around 55 kilograms—naturally aligned with the demands of climbing Colombia's steep, mountainous terrain, fostering his affinity for elevation gains from the outset.[9][1] This early exposure laid the groundwork for his later pursuit of competitive amateur racing.[10]Amateur successes
Chaves began achieving notable successes in Colombian junior racing around 2007 and 2008, competing in national championships and emerging as a promising talent.[9] His selection to the Colombian national junior team provided international exposure.[9] As an under-23 rider with the Colombia es Pasión–Coldeportes amateur team from 2009 to 2011, Chaves highlighted his competitive edge in domestic under-23 events.[9][1] He also represented Colombia at the Pan American Games, competing in road events and further establishing his reputation as a versatile rider capable of performing on international stages.[9] Chaves' breakthrough came in 2011 at the Tour de l'Avenir, the premier under-23 stage race often called the "Tour de France for young riders," where he won the overall general classification after securing key stage placings, including a third place on stage 5 to Arbois, which propelled him into the lead.[9] His climbing prowess was evident in the mountainous stages, finishing ahead of David Boily and Mattia Cattaneo in the final standings, a victory that marked him as one of the top under-23 prospects globally. This performance, combined with his prior under-23 results, drew attention from professional teams, leading to contract offers and his transition to the professional ranks in 2012.[9]Professional career
Colombia–Coldeportes (2012–2013)
Chaves turned professional in 2012 at the age of 22, signing with the newly formed Professional Continental team Colombia–Coldeportes as a neo-pro following his overall victory at the amateur Tour de l'Avenir in 2011.[11] The team, backed by Colombia's sports ministry, aimed to promote emerging national talent on the international stage, providing Chaves with his first opportunities in European racing.[9] During his debut season, Chaves quickly demonstrated his potential as a climber, securing his first professional win on the queen stage (stage 5) of the Vuelta a Burgos. The 170 km stage, culminating in the demanding summit finish at Lagunas de Neila, saw him outsprint established riders like Sergio Henao to claim victory, finishing third overall in the race. This success marked a transition from his initial role as a domestique—supporting team leaders in the peloton—to emerging as a capable stage contender, bolstered by the squad's focus on developing young Colombian climbers within a resource-limited but ambitious structure.[12] The 2013 season brought further challenges and growth for Chaves with the rebranded Team Colombia. He showed promise in domestic events, including participation in key national tours that tested his recovery and form post-winter training. However, a severe crash at the Trofeo Laigueglia in February derailed his campaign, leaving him with multiple fractures—including his right collarbone and femur—along with brain trauma, a fractured jaw, broken ribs, and nerve damage in his shoulder and arm.[13] The incident required surgery in Italy and a subsequent nine-hour operation in Bogotá to repair nerves using grafts from his foot, followed by approximately six months of intensive rehabilitation before he could resume competitive riding.[14] Despite the setback, Chaves' resilience within the team environment—where he balanced support duties with selective leadership opportunities—underscored his determination, paving the way for his return to racing later that year.[9]Orica–GreenEDGE (2014–2021)
Chaves joined Orica–GreenEDGE ahead of the 2014 season, marking his transition to the UCI WorldTour after recovering from a serious crash in 2013 that had sidelined him for months.[15] His debut year focused on adaptation to the higher competitive level, where he secured a top-10 finish at the Tour Down Under, demonstrating early promise in stage racing.[1] He also claimed his first WorldTour stage victory on stage 8 of the Tour de Suisse, outsprinting rivals on the mountain finish to Verbier, and contributed to team successes with a third-place overall at the Tour of Beijing.[16] Later that year, Chaves finished eighth in the general classification at the Giro d'Italia, his first Grand Tour appearance with the team, highlighting his climbing prowess.[17] In 2015, Chaves emerged as a genuine Grand Tour contender during the Vuelta a España, where he won stages 2 and 6—both summit finishes—and briefly donned the red jersey as race leader after stage 6.[18] These victories propelled him to fifth overall in the final standings, a breakthrough that established him as a GC threat on the international stage. Complementing this, he dominated the inaugural Abu Dhabi Tour, securing the general classification victory with consistent performances across its four stages.[19] Chaves reached his peak in 2016, finishing second overall at the Giro d'Italia behind Vincenzo Nibali, with a stage win on the demanding queen stage 14 from Alpago to Corvara in the Dolomites.[20] Later that season, he podiumed third at the Vuelta a España, supporting teammate Simon Yates while showcasing his endurance in the mountains. Off the Grand Tour circuit, Chaves capped a stellar year with victories at Giro dell'Emilia and Il Lombardia, his first Monument win, solidifying his status as a classics-caliber climber. The 2017 campaign saw Chaves maintain consistency despite increased expectations, placing 12th overall at the Tour de France—his debut there—where he aided the team's strategy in the high mountains.[21] He followed with a fifth-place finish at the Vuelta a España, again excelling on punchy climbs but fading slightly in the third week. Earlier, a second place at the Tour Down Under provided a strong season opener.[2] By 2018, with the team rebranded as Mitchelton–Scott but retaining its core structure under the Orica–GreenEDGE umbrella narrative and following a 2017 diagnosis of Epstein-Barr virus that affected his performance, Chaves opened his year by winning the overall Herald Sun Tour, leveraging his climbing edges on the Australian stages to outpace countrymen like Robert Stannard.[22] Despite ongoing recovery from the virus, he secured a stage win on stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia at Mount Etna, though Grand Tour ambitions were otherwise tempered by form issues, positioning him as a key domestique in mountainous terrain.[23] In 2019, Chaves reignited his individual success with a hard-fought victory on stage 19 of the Giro d'Italia, breaking away from a select group on the Colle delle Finestre to claim the win in Bardonecchia—his third Giro stage triumph overall.[24] This result highlighted his resilience amid a season disrupted by minor injuries. The 2020 and 2021 seasons brought challenges, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupted racing calendars and affected his training rhythm; Chaves recorded no major victories but provided reliable support in Grand Tours and stage races.[1] In 2021, he shifted toward a leadership role in the team's climbing contingent, contributing to collective efforts without personal podiums, paving the way for his departure at season's end.[2] Throughout his tenure, Chaves' versatility in the mountains—balancing GC bids with stage-hunting and team protection—proved invaluable to Orica–GreenEDGE's strategy in multi-day events.[15]EF Education–EasyPost (2022–present)
Chaves joined EF Education–EasyPost in 2022 after eight seasons with Orica–GreenEDGE, motivated by the opportunity to leverage his recent consistency into race wins following years of health struggles, including Epstein-Barr virus and chronic sinusitis. The team viewed him as a veteran climber ready to break through again in a new environment. In his debut season, he targeted Grand Tours, participating in the Vuelta a España where he finished 23rd overall while supporting teammate Richard Carapaz. However, his Tour de France appearance in 2023 ended in a DNF on stage 14 due to a massive crash that affected over 50 riders, including several GC contenders, exacerbating ongoing recovery challenges from age and prior injuries.[25][6][26] A resurgence came in 2023 with Chaves securing victory in the Colombian National Road Race Championships in Bucaramanga, soloing to the win ahead of Daniel Martínez and Nairo Quintana after attacking with six kilometers remaining, marking his first national title and first professional win in two years. He showed strong form in the Tour Colombia, finishing on the podium overall and contributing to the team's efforts amid a competitive field of Colombian stars. These performances highlighted his enduring climbing prowess in his mid-30s, building on the foundation of his peak years at Orica where he achieved Grand Tour podiums. By this point, Chaves had evolved into a mentorship role within EF, guiding younger climbers like Neilson Powless and Sean Quinn with his experience from multiple Grand Tour campaigns.[27][28][29] In 2024, Chaves placed 8th overall at the Tour Colombia, demonstrating solid GC contention early in the season despite managing age-related recovery issues and minor injuries that affected his consistency. At the Vuelta a España, he delivered key support in mountainous stages, achieving top-10 finishes in stages 9 and 12 while helping protect teammate Richard Carapaz's GC position before withdrawing later due to fatigue. His role increasingly focused on tactical leadership and mentoring emerging talents, as the team integrated younger riders into Grand Tour squads. Challenges persisted, including slower recovery times at age 34 and the physical toll of sustained racing, prompting careful race selection.[30][31] Entering 2025 at age 35, Chaves continued as a GC support rider and mentor, finishing 4th at the Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica in a punchy one-day classic that suited his versatile style. He achieved 8th overall at the Tour of Austria, with a 5th-place stage finish underscoring his climbing ability on demanding terrain. At the Vuelta a España, he provided veteran guidance to debutants like Archie Ryan and Jardi van der Lee before a DNF on stage 12 due to injury management needs. Amid plans to potentially retire or establish his own development team to promote Colombian talent post-career, Chaves emphasized team contribution over personal results, reflecting his transition to a leadership figure while navigating the physical demands of aging in professional cycling.[32][33][34][35]Racing achievements
Grand Tour results
Esteban Chaves has participated in 17 Grand Tours across his professional career, with five starts in the Giro d'Italia (best general classification: 2nd in 2016), four in the Tour de France (best: 13th in 2021), and eight in the Vuelta a España (best: 3rd in 2016).[36] He has secured five stage victories in total—three in the Giro d'Italia (2016, 2018, 2019) and two in the Vuelta a España (2015)—but none in the Tour de France.[1] His breakthrough came in multi-week stage races, where his punchy climbing style shone on undulating and mountainous terrain, though later years saw several abandonments due to crashes.[37] Chaves' stage wins highlight his opportunistic racing. In the 2015 Vuelta a España, he claimed stage 2 (175.4 km from Ponferrada to Caminito del Rey), surging clear on the punchy Alto del Nava to win from a small leading group and seize the red jersey for the first time.[38] He doubled up on stage 6 (198.6 km to Sierra de Cazorla), launching a solo attack 2.3 km from the summit finish on the category 1 climb to hold off the chasers by five seconds and reclaim the lead.[39] At the 2016 Giro d'Italia, his queen stage victory on stage 14 (147 km from Alagna Valsesia to Santuario di Oropa) came from outsprinting a select group including Vincenzo Nibali.[40] In 2018, he won Giro stage 6 (169 km to Mount Etna) in a Mitchelton-Scott one-two with teammate Simon Yates, who assumed the pink jersey, as Chaves crested the volcanic climb first ahead of Thibaut Pinot.[41] His most recent Giro stage triumph was in 2019 on stage 19 (151 km from Treviso to San Martino di Castrozza), where he attacked repeatedly from a 12-man breakaway on the final 13.6 km climb (5.6% gradient) to solo away 2 km from the line.[42] Chaves' standout 2016 season yielded double podiums, driven by his climbing prowess and Orica-GreenEDGE's tactical support. In the Giro, he capitalized on Kruijswijk's stage 19 crash to take pink, defending aggressively until Nibali's late attacks on the Colle dell'Agnello and Risoul dropped him to second overall, 53 seconds back.[43] Transitioning immediately to the Vuelta, he rode consistently across the three weeks, finishing third, 4:35 behind winner Nairo Quintana (with Chris Froome second, 1:23 back) and ahead of Alberto Contador by just 13 seconds, thanks to strong mountain performances and team protection in key stages.[44] This rare feat—podiums in consecutive Grand Tours—underscored his endurance and tactical acumen at age 26, though subsequent seasons contrasted sharply with multiple did-not-finishes (DNFs) from crashes, including the 2022 Vuelta (DNS stage 16), 2023 Tour de France (sternoclavicular injury from a stage 14 crash), and 2025 Vuelta.[45] Chaves evolved from a domestique supporting teammates in early Vuelta outings (41st in 2014) to a genuine contender by 2015, when his stage wins propelled him to fifth overall.[36] His 2016 peak marked the height of his Grand Tour threat, but injuries and form dips shifted focus to stage hunting in later Giros, with solid but unspectacular Tour results like 13th in 2021 reflecting adapted goals amid team roles at Mitchelton-Scott and EF Education-EasyPost.[5]| Year | Giro d'Italia GC | Tour de France GC | Vuelta a España GC |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | - | - | 41st |
| 2015 | 55th | - | 5th |
| 2016 | 2nd | - | 3rd |
| 2017 | - | 62nd | 11th |
| 2018 | 72nd | - | - |
| 2019 | 40th | - | 19th |
| 2020 | - | 23rd | 27th |
| 2021 | - | 13th | - |
| 2022 | - | - | DNF |
| 2023 | - | DNF | - |
| 2024 | 35th | - | - |
| 2025 | - | - | DNF |
Classic and one-day race victories
Esteban Chaves' standout achievement in one-day racing came in 2016 with victory at the Giro di Lombardia, marking the first Monument win for a Colombian rider and the first by a non-European in the race's history.[46] The 241 km event from Como to Bergamo featured a decisive late breakaway on the Villa di Serio climb, where Chaves joined Diego Rosa and Rigoberto Urán to form a trio that held off the chase group; he then out-sprinted his companions over the final 300 meters for the win. This success highlighted Chaves' tactical acumen in hilly classics, leveraging his lightweight climbing style to bridge gaps and contest reduced-group finishes on punchy ascents. Building momentum in the Italian late-season calendar, Chaves secured another one-day triumph at the 2016 Giro dell'Emilia, attacking solo on the steep 2 km San Luca climb with 1.5 km remaining to drop the remnants of the leading group and finish alone after 205 km of racing.[47] His aggressive move on the cobbled finale underscored a specialization in undulating terrains, where he prioritizes positioning for explosive efforts rather than pure power in flatter or cobbled sectors like those in northern European classics. Chaves has shown consistent competitiveness in the Ardennes classics, suiting his strengths in repeated short climbs, with notable results including 8th place at the 2021 Flèche Wallonne, where he crested the Mur de Huy in the elite chase group behind winner Julian Alaphilippe. In Liège–Bastogne–Liège, his best performance is 14th overall in 2018, enduring the 253 km Ardennes endurance test to stay within striking distance of the leaders on key hills like the Côte de la Redoute. These finishes reflect a tactical focus on energy conservation for the race's hilly second half, contrasting with more conservative approaches in cobbled Monuments like Paris-Roubaix, where his results have been outside the top 20 due to the emphasis on flat-out speed and wet-weather handling. Beyond European elite one-day events, Chaves claimed overall victory in the 2018 Herald Sun Tour, a four-stage Australian race serving as an early-season benchmark; he sealed the win with a 20 km solo break on the queen stage to Kinglake, finishing 11 seconds ahead of the GC rivals. This result demonstrated his versatility in short multi-day formats akin to one-day efforts, using climbing attacks to build decisive time gaps. In 2025, he achieved further one-day success with 4th place at the Andorra MoraBanc Clàssica.[48] Chaves' top-10 finishes in Monuments are limited but impactful, centered on his 2016 Lombardia triumph; he has no other podiums or top-10s in the five premier classics (Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liège–Bastogne–Liège, Giro di Lombardia), though his climbing focus has yielded stronger showings in the hillier editions like Lombardia and Liège.[49]| Year | Monument | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Giro di Lombardia | 1st |