The incredible climbing star who could follow Nibali after Kruijswijk’s crash—but later hit his own limits
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleEsteban Chaves has brought his active career to a close. At 35 years old, the Colombian was once the “wonder-kid” of the Grand Tours, yet outside one dazzling year in 2016 he remained somewhat under the radar. Over the past four seasons with EF Education–EasyPost the flame slowly dimmed — even though it lasted longer than perhaps anyone expected.
ADVERTISEMENT
Even in his final year as a pro there was a faint glimmer of enthusiasm among the crowd when Chaves’s name was announced. The small “climbing goat” was, first and foremost, a pure rider of the mountains — yet over the years he became equally admired for his ever-present smile and pleasant character. Perhaps he was a little too nice for a sport which has grown ever tougher.
If you were fighting tooth and nail for position in the peloton, you’d do well not to count on Chaves: he preferred burying his teeth in a real mountain stage, or a stiff uphill finish. Then the legs would turn and with his 50-odd kilos he didn’t need many watts to ascend at a very high pace. It was this way he also broke through — a genuine climber, the likes of which we rarely see in 2025.
Continue reading below the photo
Chaves was always a welcome rider in the peloton
Chaves saw Steven Kruijswijk crash into the snow-wall
Chaves emerged via the ProContinental circuit with Team Colombia and in 2014 signed a contract with Orica GreenEDGE. It turned out to be an enduring match — not least because of mutual respect, aligned ambitions and hard results. In his first WorldTour season Chaves immediately won a stage in the Tour of California and the Tour de Suisse.
After debuting at the Vuelta a España in 2014 he broke through in 2015 in that year’s third Grand Tour: two stage wins and a 5th place overall. Using the super-compensation from that Spain race he also won the then-end-of-year Abu Dhabi Tour.
Then in 2016 came the next big step. Chaves finished 2nd at the Giro d’Italia — the edition in which Steven Kruijswijk had long looked best, but the Dutchman cracked under pressure from Vincenzo Nibali in a descent: Nibali and Chaves went left around the corner; Kruijswijk ploughed into a wall of snow.
Continue reading below the video
Chaves struggled with “staying upright” and a changed racing world
Following his first Grand Tour podium Chaves stormed ahead in 2016 with a third place in the Vuelta that year and wins in the Giro della Emilia and the Il Lombardia. A future Grand Tour winner seemed born — yet it never quite arrived. In a career that devolved into mainly stage-racing he occasionally gave a glimpse of his superstar potential, but often he did not.
Troubles struck in 2017: a crash in the Giro fractured his shoulder blade. In 2018 he was struck by mono (infectious mononucleosis), meaning after the Giro he didn’t ride the rest of the year. He returned strongly in 2019 with a stage win in the Giro, but then COVID struck the landscape of the sport in 2020.
When 2021 and 2022 brought things back to “normal”, the cards in pro cycling were suddenly entirely reshuffled. Young talent took control, driven by exponential improvements in materials, nutrition, an obsessive focus on watts-per-kilo and being ever-more all-round. Going uphill was faster year after year — and like many others, Chaves simply couldn’t make that next step.
Continue reading below the photo
Chaves kept the smile, despite farewell in obscurity
Although Chaves saw the absolute world-top slip away, we still witnessed him make attempts in recent years. He began 2023 excellently by winning the Colombian national road title — but that turned out to be his final victory in his palmarès. After sixteen seasons of racing he finishes with 17 wins, including five Grand Tour stages, one Monument in Il Lombardia and two Grand Tour podiums.
“Esteban always competed with his trademark smile on his face,” wrote EF Education–EasyPost in a statement. “As he fought for grand tour victories and won stages on the hardest days in those races, he never forgot the humble values and work ethic that he had learned as a boy in Colombia.”
Chaves became a pro at all following a life-threatening crash in 2013 — that in itself was a small miracle. That he got as much out of his career as he did warrants a big compliment. “This is the right decision. I am proud of the career I have had and happy that I now close this chapter.”
The Vuelta a España proved to be his last race — Chaves abandoned after twelve days following a crash.
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Latest Cycling News
Cycling transfers 2026/2027 | Cycling transfer market still in full swing in November
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Vacek criticises Juan Ayuso's poor start at Lidl-Trek: 'Even the slightest mental lapse'
Sir Chris Hoy shares an update about living with stage four cancer: 'I'm doing pretty well really'
Primoz Roglic's contract options continue to shrink, but a surprise new team enters the conversation
Popular Cycling News
Cycling transfers 2026/2027 | Cycling transfer market still in full swing in November
Sven Nys spoke with Lucinda Brand straight after European Championship drama: 'Is that enough to ultimately relegate someone'
Fears of serious injury to Alvarado, bronze medalist, after the European Cyclocross Championships
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Picnic PostNL's WorldTour uncertainty has five rival teams, and Tom Pidcock, watching the UCI closely
Latest Comments
- Does XEFI’s investment mean the team will have more money to sign riders, or is it mainly a sponsorship and naming change? And is Roglič expected to race much next season?jeremya11-11-2026
- If the roster is nearly complete, why bring up Roglič at all? Feels like the article is turning a firm “no” into a transfer rumour.andrewf11-11-2026
- Wuling is no joke—105 km of climbing to 3,275 metres is brutal. Five minutes off Dyball’s record is still an incredible ride.velodromevirtuoso111-11-2026
- Roglič at TotalEnergies would be a fascinating move, but Heulot sounds pretty clear that it isn’t happening. His experience could be a massive boost for the younger riders, though.jennifer1911-11-2026
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
