Guatemala's Sergio Chumil is one to watch
Burgos DS Damien Garcia tells Global Peloton: 'We expect a lot from him and [he will] become soon a leader of the team'
Professional cyclists from Guatemala don’t come around that often.
Rolando Ovando raced for a year with O.N.C.E back in 1989, and competed at the top level in Spain for a number of years. After him, Anton Villatoro rode for US Postal Service for three years during the 90s, starting but failing to finish two Vueltas a España. It was a 26 year wait for the next star to come along.
Sergio Chumil is a 24-year-old climber from Tecpán, a medium-sized town in the mountainous west of Guatemala. At the beginning of 2024, he signed for Burgos-Burpellet-BH, after two seasons racing for their amateur feeder team where he won the highly-regarded Vuelta a Zamora in 2023.
If a stage win at the Volta a Portugal last season gave a hint of his promise, it was confirmed at O Gran Camiño in February. On the stage four finish atop the Alto do Cebreiro, Chumil escaped the group of favourites alongside race leader Derek Gee. The pair stayed away, and Chumil beat the Candian in the sprint to the line, eventually securing 6th overall, his best GC result to date.
He was rewarded with a contract extension with Burgos-Burpellet-BH until the end of 2027 - a huge vote of confidence for a rider from small beginnings.
“I started cycling thanks to a friend,” Chumil told Tuttobiciweb after his O Gran Camiño success. “At the beginning we went out pedalling for pure pleasure, then little by little I became more and more passionate until I started attending a sports organisation in Guatemala that allowed me to gradually improve.”
There is very little in terms of cycling development infrastructure in Guatemala, and very few high-level races to compete in where riders can test themselves. The centrepiece of Guatemalan cycling is the Vuelta a Guatemala, which first took place in 1957. Today, it is a UCI 2.2 event with mostly Guatemalans and Colombians taking part. Chumil has competed in the race four times, most recently in 2023 when he won two stages.
“Unfortunately, to tell the truth, in my country the support for cycling is very poor and I did not think I would become a professional but, thank God, now I am here and I am taking advantage of this opportunity,” Chumil said.
“I think cycling, in the end, is about learning something new every day and I like to learn new things. I want to improve in different aspects and be a little more professional every day.”
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Getting to Spain in 2022 was the move that has made Chumil’s professional career a reality, but he still trains a lot back home in Guatemala, taking advantage of the good weather and altitude.
“It’s really nice to ride in Guatemala, I like to train in my country,” he said. “I live at an altitude of 2,500 meters and for me it’s fantastic. Personally I think it’s better to be able to prepare at home to arrive here in Europe in the best condition: that’s what I did for O Gran Camiño, for example.”
Chumil counts the likes of Alberto Contador, Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana among his idols and dreams of emulating their success at the highest level. He hopes to join a WorldTeam in the coming years and if Burgos-Burpellet-BH are invited to the Vuelta a España, he could become the first Guatemalan ever to finish a Grand Tour.
Having started his career later than most, it’s possible that Chumil has more room for improvement than most 24-year-olds.
“He got the opportunity to come to Europe quite late, after COVID,” the team’s lead Director Sportif, Damien Garcia, tells Global Peloton. “He was cycling from junior, but he's still young. He's fresh in his head. He has a big improvement about [increasing] kilometres, I think, to do at the training. I think he has a big improvement coming and he will be one of the main riders of the team in the future.”
The team have tracked Chumil for several years, signing him to their amateur development squad, Equipo Cortizo in 2022. It’s clear that the French DS has high hopes for the Guatemalan.
“Chumil was in Cortizo when he was amateur. We passed him last year as a neo-pro. He [became] national champion and won one stage in Volta a Portugal. So he's a very talented climber, I would say.”
“He's a pure climber and he lives up to 2,500 meters in Guatemala. So I think from genetics, he will be, we hope, one of the biggest climbers of the team in the future and internationally.”
“I think he has also big improvements about training, nutrition, about all these details. He must improve and hopefully he can become a leader. He's a very respectful guy also, humble. So yeah, we expect a lot from him and [he will] become soon a leader of the team.”
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