A personal tribute to Esteban Chaves, one of the most universally beloved cyclists of the modern era.
Kristof Ramon, Gruber Images, Cor Vos
The first road cyclist that my attention grabbed and would not let go was Esteban Chaves, ‘Chavito’, ‘the Smiling Assassin’, ‘the Colombian Kangaroo’. On Monday, via a heartfelt short film entitled “Welcome to Life”, his name was added to the list of retiring riders after 15 years as a pro cyclist.
You’ll notice we haven’t covered every 2025 retirement in detail at Escape Collective – frankly, it would be a tall order – but Chaves has earned it. For a time, he was one of the most exciting names in the sport, at least as far as climbers and GC contenders were concerned, taking big wins and consistently animating the biggest races on the calendar. But he also transcended the purely athletic dimension, his magnetic smile and attitude drawing countless fans into his orbit.
The apparently ageless (now-35-year-old) Colombian climber enjoyed a few golden years in the latter half of the 2010s having found an unlikely home with Orica-GreenEdge. He spent eight years with the Australian WorldTeam before moving to EF Education-EasyPost for the last four-year chapter of his career, in its entirety racking up 17 pro wins, two Grand Tour podiums, and one emotional national title.
But it might never have happened.
Chaves’ elite career was only two years old when it came agonisingly close to ending at Italian one-day Trofeo Laigueglia in February 2013. The then-23-year-old injured his right shoulder so badly that he lost almost all mobility in his upper arm due to significant nerve damage. He was told he would never recover.
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