Jhonatan Restrepo, first signing for EOLO KOMETA 2024
Colombian rider Jhonatan Restrepo (1994) will wear the colours of the EOLO KOMETA team next season. It is the first confirmed signing, coming from GW Shimano Sidermec, and he is a complete, versatile cyclist, who undoubtedly will bring great joys to the professional structure of the Contador Team Foundation.
Restrepo, who is in his country recovering from an injury suffered in the last Vuelta a Colombia, is breathing better and better after his rib fracture and above all, looking to be ready for his return to Europe. A call, that of EOLO KOMETA, which makes him be “very motivated. It is one of the best Professional Continental teams, the best for me. I especially emphasize that it has a lot of human quality, it is not only the cyclists but all those who are part of the structure. I’m looking forward to starting”, he assures.
Since 2020 in the ranks of Androni Giocattoli, then GW Shimano Sidermec, and with the principles in track cycling, Restrepo has shone especially in the Tour of Rwanda with six stages (the last in 2022) and taking advantage of his ability when the road is up but also in the sprint in small groups. This year he has won the Giro Reggio Calabria and the first stage of the Vuelta a Tolima as the most outstanding results.
Born in Pácora, on the Cordillera Central de Los Andes, he faces what will be his eighth season as a professional with renewed motivation: “Since I knew about the options of joining EOLO KOMETA, I was very happy to know that they trusted me and I hope to pay back that trust in the best races”.
He will be a cyclist of reference, and he already has a great experience in the professional peloton. His development as a track rider gives him the ability to move in the group, to position himself very well and to read the race to be in the key moments: “I’m not afraid of contact, to get into the massive sprints. If I position myself well, I can pass the climbs and look for the victory with my speed”.
About the team, he underlines “their combativeness. No rider of EOLO KOMETA is in the breakaway for the sake of being there, but to look for the victory. They are always looking for the best result and believing that it is possible, it can be achieved”. Looking to the future, aware of the enormous opportunity, he recognises that he would love to “compete in the Giro d’Italia, it’s everyone’s dream. But I want to be competitive from the start of the season”.
Manager Fran Contador refers to Restrepo by emphasising “his desire and determination, which will surely translate into results”. In this line, he shows his confidence in the role of the Colombian rider in the team’s plan: “He will be an important part of the professional structure next year”, he assures.
Ivan Basso also values the arrival of Jhonatan Restrepo: “He reflects our idea of growth and fits perfectly with our philosophy. He is happy to have come to us, and we are happy that he has joined our family for next season”.
