Basket
Born in 1988 in Colombia, Winner Anacona is a professional rider who has been a member of the Arkéa-Samsic cycling team since 2020. What is his professional career? His track record and major victories? Zoom in on Winner Anacona, Colombian climber and teammate of Nairo Quintana.
Who is Winner Anacona?
Named after the cyclists Peter Winnen and Andrew Hampsten, adored by his father, Winner Andrew Anacona Gómez was born to pedal. He discovered the joys of cycling at the age of three and a half when he received his first small bicycle with wheels as a gift. A childhood memory that he has kept to this day! Winner continued his studies while riding regularly, dreaming of following in the footsteps of his idol, Miguel Indurain. By dint of courage, discipline and rigor, Winner Anacona has become a remarkable climber who currently rides at the highest professional level in the Arkéa-Samsic team.
His youth as an amateur
Like his father, Winner Anacona competes in amateur racing. At the age of 18, the young Colombian was not only crowned his country's junior time trial champion, but he also received the crown for the team pursuit and points race track events! From 2009 to 2011, Winner completed three seasons in Italy during which he achieved numerous podium finishes. Most notably, he finished second in the Baby Giro. A bright future awaits him.
Professional cycling career
In 2012, Winner Anacona joined the Italian UCI World Tour team Lampre-ISD. He participated in his first competitions in the professional peloton, among others: the Melinda Trophy, the Grand Prix of the Canton of Aargau and the Tour of Slovenia, where he took 10th place overall. It wasn't long before he made his mark on the public at his first grand tour, the Vuelta, with a respectable 19th place. The 2014 season took Winner to all three road cycling world championship events, as well as the Tour of Utah, where he placed 3rd. With the Colombian road vice-champion title in hand, he won the 9th stage of the Tour of Spain, his favorite race, and swept the 9th position in the mountain classification. His climbing skills and cycling skills put him in the top 10 riders in the combined classification!
Movistar and Arkéa-Samsic
Winner Anacona left his Italian team to join the Spanish team Movistar in 2015, alongside Condor Nairo Quintana. During the following years, he would participate in the Giro, the Tour de France and again in the Vuelta. In 2019, the Colombian cyclist won the general of the Tour de San Juan in Argentina with, in addition, a stage on the counter. Since 2020, Winner Anacona has worn the colors of the team Arkéa-Samsic to propel its leaders to victory: Nairo Quintana, Warren Barguil and Nacer Bouhanni.
