With that, Hoyos had not only beaten the best rider in the world, he’d become a legend. The Italian superstar, who was beloved in Medellin, was gracious in defeat.Īntioquia, in red, within the camp of Colombia. The altitude, shifts in climate, harsh pace and endless climbs that are still common in Colombian races had gotten the best of him. He'd been defeated by a Colombian, but also by Colombia itself. Coppi arrived to the finish live eventually, in the safety of a team car. Unaware of Coppi’s monumental collapse in the Alto de Minas, race leader Ramon Hoyos forged ahead, and crossed the finish line alone. His eyes rolled back completely, as medics and team assistants came by to care for him. The greatest cyclist of the era, perhaps of all time, had literally fallen at her feet. Coppi pedaled slowly, and as he reached Angulo and her family, he wobbled violently and collapsed onto a ditch. The Italian champion wasn’t dancing on the pedals, or even moving them smoothly. As soon as Carmenza Angulo and her family saw him, they sensed something was wrong. It was Fausto Coppi, the visiting dignitary who they had woken up at 5:30 in the morning to see. But then, another figure appeared down the road. Well after Ramon Hoyos went by, leading the Doble A Pintada race, the excitement of seeing the local hero died down. It was there, that Carmenza Angulo and her family saw one of the most significant moments in the history of Colombian cycling. Soon enough, they found themselves on the famed Alto de Minas climb. ![]() She knew exactly the best place to watch that day’s race, and she also knew that in order to get a prime spot, her and her family would have to leave their house at 5:30am. Though young, Angulo was already well versed in the sport of cycling. Photo by Horacio Gil Ochoa.Ĭarmenza Angulo was only thirteen years old on January 24, 1957.
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