Álvaro Mejía (cyclist)

Álvaro Mejía Castrillón (born January 19, 1967, in Santa Rosa de Cabal, Risaralda Department) is a Colombian former professional road cyclist.^[2]

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Mejía and the second or maternal family name is Castrillón.

Álvaro Mejía

Personal information
Full name	Álvaro Mejía Castrillón
Nickname	El Cometa
Born	(1967-01-19) January 19, 1967 (age 58) Santa Rosa de Cabal, Colombia
Team information
Current team	Retired
Discipline	Road and mountain biking[1]
Role	Rider
Rider type	Climber
Amateur team
1988	Castalia
Professional teams
1989–1992	Postobón–Manzana
1993–1995	Motorola
1997	Petroleo de Colombia
Major wins
Tour de France, young rider classification (1991) Volta a Catalunya (1993)

Mejía took up cycling at the age of 16, after watching Lucho Herrera, Fabio Parra and Óscar Vargas racing in the Vuelta a Colombia. He had previously competed in football and athletics, having been national junior champion for the 10,000 metres. In 1988 he won the Under-23 Vuelta a Colombia and the Clásico RCN. He won the young rider classification in the 1991 Tour de France and finished fourth at the 1991 UCI Road World Championships in Stuttgart, where he was part of the winning break alongside Gianni Bugno, Steven Rooks and Miguel Indurain. Mejía joined the Motorola team in 1993: that season he won the Volta a Catalunya and finished fourth in the 1993 Tour de France. Subsequently he spent two more seasons with Motorola before finishing his road racing career with the Petroleo de Colombia team. He spent two more years racing mountain bikes before retiring from competition.^[1] During his career he also won other stage races including the Vuelta a Murcia, Route du Sud and Vuelta a Galicia.

After retiring from competition, Mejía became a doctor and lecturer, and has taught at the Technological University of Pereira and the Universidad Andina in Pereira.^[1]

Career achievements

Major results

1987

3rd Overall Clásico RCN

1st Stage 7

1988

1st Overall Clásico RCN

2nd Overall Vuelta a Colombia

1st Prologue & Stage 6

1989

1st Overall Clásico RCN

1st Stages 6 & 8 (ITT)

3rd Trofeo Masferrer

1990

2nd Overall Clásico RCN

3rd Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

1st Stage 8 (ITT)

1991

1st Young rider classification, Tour de France

1st Overall Tour of Galicia

1st Stage 3

4th Road race, UCI Road World Championships

4th Overall Volta a Catalunya

1992

1st Overall Vuelta a Murcia

4th Overall Clásico RCN

1st Prologue

1993

1st Overall Volta a Catalunya

3rd Overall Tour of Galicia

4th Overall Tour de France

1994

1st Overall Route du Sud

6th Overall Vuelta a Murcia

1995

4th Overall Tour DuPont

8th Overall Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré

Grand Tour general classification results timeline

Grand Tour	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995
Giro d'Italia	—	—	—	30	39	—
Tour de France	49	19	DNF	4	31	16
Vuelta a España	17	22	29	—	—	DNF

Legend

DSQ	Disqualified
DNF	Did not finish