Portrait of Jhonatan Narváez, cobbler and classic enthusiast from Ecuador

Jhonatan Narváez is one of the trendsetters of this classic spring. He went along with the best in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, sprinted for a win in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne and in the GP de Denain he was taken back in the final kilometer. He also finished sixth in both Strade Bianche and the E3 Saxo Bank Classic. High time for an introduction. “I want to show young riders in my country that there is another path to a professional career besides climbing,” the 25-year-old Ecuadorian tells. CyclingFlash.

On March 4, 1997, Jhonatan Narváez was born in the village of El Playón de San Francisco, 3000 meters above sea level. Despite only having about 1500 people, it has three professional cyclists: current national champion Jefferson Alexander Cepeda (Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli) is also from there and his cousin Jefferson Alveiro Cepeda (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) is there. also born. The country’s greatest racing driver Richard Carapaz comes from a nearby village. Coincidence or not, the fifth and final pro (Jonathan Klever Caicedo of EF Education-EasyPost) also comes from a village just a few kilometers from El Playón. All five learned the tricks of the trade at the cycling club of the late former Olympian (1992) Juan Carlos Rosero.

“El Playón is located in the far north, close to the border with Colombia. Cycling is extremely popular in our region.” Narváez himself is speaking. He tells in good English that he still lives there, a twenty-minute drive from the Colombian border. His teammate Carapaz comes from a village between Narváez’s hometown and the border. A special fact, because Ecuador is more than six times larger in land area than the Netherlands and Belgium combined. Just over 17.5 million inhabitants live there. It is quite special that the five Ecuadorian pros all come from the same local region.

Narváez himself started racing when he was ten years old. “Living in a small village in the mountains, as a child there were few options for me to try other sports. My father was a cycling enthusiast and my brother ten years older also raced. He did stop when he was eighteen years old. But I must also say that I really really liked cycling, I hadn’t picked up another sport quickly either. I looked up to Lance Armstrong, Alberto Contador and Tony Martin. I often went to watch my brother’s matches. In fact, I did everything by bike during that period.”

From Ecuador to Belgium
Narváez developed steadily, finishing second in the Colombian Tour of the Future and the Pan American Championships in his first year as a junior. When he turned eighteen the following year and finished school, he changed course. “I became continental champion in the individual pursuit at the Mexican track in Aguascalientes. I did that in a world record (which was broken only three times after that, including by Stefan Bissegger and Finn Fisher-Black, ed.). That was the sign for me to try to grow into a professional cyclist. I decided to give myself three years for that.”

As a freshman U23, he then ends up as a South American not in Spain or Italy, but at Klein Constancia. They rode on a Czech license, but those who understand it well know that it was Quick-Step’s renowned U23 team. Julian Alaphilippe, Enric Mas, Maximilian Schachmann, Iván García and Markus Hoelgaard, among others, received their training there. “They invited me for a test at the Bakala Academy in Belgium. At the time, Rebellion Fernández is still the scout of that team. He spoke my language and convinced me that with this team I first had to learn to speak English and understand the culture in Europe.”

“But I found the step from South America to Europe very difficult”, he reflects on this. A year later he left for Hagens Berman Axeon, and subsequently signed a three-year professional contract with Deceuninck-Quick-Step. He was then introduced to cobblestones for the first time in Belgium. “To be honest, I had never seen them before,” laughs Narváez. “I had looked at pictures before, but I had no idea how big the races are in Belgium. In our cities in Ecuador you sometimes also have cobblestones in the centers. When I told my friends that I had to race that in Europe, they wouldn’t believe me!”

Narvaez debuted as national champion at Quick-Step, here with Álvaro José Hodeg – photo: Cor Vos

Development into a spring rider
He made his professional debut with Patrick Lefevere’s team in 2018 at the age of 20, as the reigning champion of Ecuador. “However, they hadn’t attracted me to the classics and I myself had very different plans at the time,” says Narváez. “I saw opportunities in stage races with that team. Back then, Quick-Step didn’t really have someone for races like the Tour of Catalonia or the Tour of the Basque Country, for example. However, after one season, I broke my ongoing contract. My manager (Giuseppe Acquadro, ed.) thought I would be a better fit for INEOS Grenadiers, because there were more Spanish-speaking riders there.”

“Nothing against Quick-Step. That was a great team and without the intervention of my manager I would probably still be there today.” He thus experienced his baptism of fire on cobblestones last year for the British team in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad. “I found it very difficult, but I fell in love with the aggressive way of racing,” he explains. A day later in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, he set out together with Mathieu van der Poel, for an undertaking from eighty kilometers from the end. The Dutchman was impressed by Narváez. “That was a special race, I like his way of racing. I will never forget that day!” the Ecuadorian smiles.

Bearing in mind his surprising performance last spring, the 25-year-old South American switched coaches last winter. “With Adrián López I decided to change tack after last season. My training now mainly focuses on the classics and not so much on climbing. That is now bearing fruit. I was in De Omloop, I raced for a win in Kuurne and I was also good in Denain. In Strade Bianche (sixth, ed.) I was close to the podium and in Gent-Wevelgem I just missed the decisive group of four. I am now also convinced that I can do better in the classics.”

Eighty kilometers in the attack with Van der Poel in KBK 2021 – photo: Color Vos

Classic win as a dot on the horizon
Narváez tells with great enthusiasm what the classics mean to him. “You have to know how to take the corners well, you have to take into account how the wind is and whether you are already on course at a key moment. These one-day races are full throttle from start to finish. Why I love the Flemish classics so much is because I get a kick out of adrenaline. I love the hectic pace and the stress, as crazy as that may sound. The experience in the classics is different than in grand tours, or defending the leader’s jersey in another stage race. I like attacking and aggressive racing much more. I find that here in Belgium.”

Narváez has already won four pro races, including a tough hill ride in the pouring rain during the 2020 Giro d’Italia. “My dream race? Then I mainly think of Strade Bianche”, he beams. “But I also love the E3 Saxo Bank Classic. I will focus on those two games for the next two years. Then I want to see if I can win the Tour of Flanders. This Sunday I expect to be able to ride in the top 10 myself. If that doesn’t work, I help the team and I try to absorb as much information and tactical experiences from my teammates as possible for the future. It is also my first participation. I don’t know all the slopes. The team leader said during the reconnaissance: ‘Watch out, now the Paterberg is coming’. And I thought: ‘Yes, nice, but what is the Paterberg?’. I still have a lot to learn,” he laughs out loud.

Haven’t we even mentioned the slightly crazy sensation: a South American who is good at Flemish classics. What Narváez does is actually rarely seen. “Nice that you bring it up. In Ecuador and also Colombia, riders and the federation have a different ambition. If you can’t climb well, it’s hard to win races. And then you quickly lose your motivation. I’m not a super climber either. That’s why I want to show the young talents in Ecuador that you can still be a pro even if you are not good at climbing. There is still a path for talents, who would otherwise be lost to the sport.”

That’s the story of The alligator, the lizard. “Actually, that was my brother’s nickname, because he won races with fast and aggressive attacks. Because he stopped and I race the same way, I got that nickname,” he says. After Flanders’ most beautiful Narváez returns to his home country of Ecuador to prepare for the Giro d’Italia. With a suitcase full of adventures, stories for the youth and ambitions for the future.

Narváez finished sixth in his favorite race this year: Strade Bianche – photo: Cor Vos