The greatest cyclists in the world are testing themselves up and down France's topography.
The Tour de France has begun and a Colombian could be a factor in the legendary bike race. The mountains of Colombia help produce riders who can contend with some of the toughest routes around the world.
One of them is Esteban Chaves, 27, who has been quietly stringing together good results of late on the European circuit. Known as the "Smiling Assassin," Chaves is a top competitor in the cycling world.
But Chaves isn't facing the challenge of trying to succeed at the Tour de France all alone. Not only does he have fellow compatriots vying for the same title, he is following the footsteps of other Colombians who have gone before him.
A look at some of the greatest cyclists in Colombia's history:
Nuestro Cafetero"cochise"Rodriguez fue ganador de 9 campeonatos entre ellos:del mundo,caribe,sudamericano,panamericano,bolivariano en pista. pic.twitter.com/6gUzKsZT5z
— @CICLISMOCAFETERO (@col_1ciclismo) June 24, 2017
Martín Emilio Rodríguez Gutiérrez
Active 1961-1971
• He rode the Tour de France in 1975 and finished 27th overall. Rodriguez, known as "Cochise," was a pioneer at a point when not many Colombian, or indeed, South American, riders turned professional. His ability to perform well against the toughest international cycling competitors in Europe proved to the world how capable Colombian cyclists were.
Santiago Botero
Active 1998-2008
• Colombians are expected to do well in the mountain stages, but Botero wasn't just an excellent climber. He also excelled on the road alone. He was the World Champion in the individual time trial in 2002. In his career, Botero won three stages of the Tour de France and was also notable for his longevity in cycling.
Luis Herrera
Active 1985-1992
• Herrera showed the world Colombian cyclists were really of a top level when he became the first from his country to win a stage of the Tour de France in 1984. Proving it wasn't a fluke, he also won two stages the next year. He also twice won the prestigious polka-dot jersey which is given to the best climbing rider in the Tour de France and is known as the King of the Mountains top. Herrera demonstrated he wasn't just a climbing specialist by winning the Tour of Spain in 1987.
Fabio Parra
Active 1985-1992
• The first Colombian to make the final podium in the Tour de France was Parra, who finished third in the 1988 edition. While Parra could climb as well as any Colombian rider, he was also well-rounded, and this made him capable of competing in the overall classification, and not just for the King of the Mountains jersey.
Nairo Quintana
Active since 2009
• Arguably Colombia's greatest rider, Quintana was less than five minutes away from cycling's Mt. Olympus in 2013 -- winning the Tour de France. Quintana finished second to winner Chris Froome, 4 minutes and 20 seconds off the lead. Quintana did manage to claim the King of the Mountains jersey that year, as well as the white jersey given to the Tour's best young rider. Five years later, Quintana is still in pursuit of the Tour crown. The dynamic cyclist, who is only five feet, five inches tall, won the Tour of Italy in 2014 and the Tour of Spain in 2016.
• Also representing Colombia in this year's Tour are Sergio Henao, Carlos Betancur, Jarlinson Pantano, Darwin Atapuma and Rigoberto Uran.