When the Season Shifted Overnight

Every season begins with anticipation. And every season, sooner or later, brings its own challenges.

By January, we were ready. Routes prepared, teams back on the road, and riders arriving in Bogotá excited for the journey ahead toward Cartagena. But this year, just as the first departures approached, everything seemed to shift overnight.
The capture of Nicolás Maduro following a complex U.S. military operation in Venezuela suddenly dominated international headlines. Across the region, there were warnings of escalation and speculation about broader military tensions. From afar, borders blur easily, and conversations quickly turned toward safety, particularly among our U.S.-based guests.

We understood the concern.

For travelers watching from thousands of kilometers away, geography tends to compress. South America becomes one place on a map. Colombia and Venezuela appear side by side. And when uncertainty appears in the headlines, hesitation often follows.

Emails slowed. Questions changed tone. Conversations that normally revolved around climbing legs, coffee stops, and bike choices suddenly included words like safety, stability, and “what’s really happening down there? On the ground, however, life continued as it always does. Towns along our routes moved at their own rhythm. Markets opened. Cyclists trained in the mountains. The roads remained quiet, slow, and pristine.

There was a sense of trepidation in many riders’ eyes as they arrived in Bogotá. Even the first pedal strokes carried a hint of doubt. And if I’m honest, a quiet sense of gratitude on my side that somehow we were starting the season at all.

After the first few stages, something familiar returned.