REALLY HUMBLE BEGINNINGS. Einer Rubio’s story as a professional rider starts when his whole family is forced to move away from hometown Chíquiza, in the Boyacá department, due to the drought affecting their potato fields and keeping their stable from being properly fed. They headed towards the Colombian capital, Bogotá, where Einer, once he finished secondary school, started working in the construction industry, and saved some money to buy a bike made of iron, with which he got back to training on the road. Still a junior rider (2015 / 2016), Rubio started to make a name as one of the most promising talents in the country, which made an Italian headhunter put his eyes on him so he could earn a place in the European peloton.

BREAKTHROUGH. Einer soon achieves good results despite the adaption to the Italian language and culture taking its time -the team he rode for, Aran – Vejus, has ended up being his ‘Italian family’, with fellow countryman Brayan Malaver now riding for them-. In 2018, he won a stage of the U23 Giro d’Italia, the GP Capodarco and a stage at the Giro del Friuli -the latter, in front of no less than Tadej Pogacar-, and in 2019, Rubio got himself into the podium of the amateur Giro (2nd place).

FIRM STEPS FORWARD. During the 2020 season, already in Movistar Team colours, he will be the only member of the Telefónica-backed squad to debut in a Grand Tour, the Giro d’Italia, where he did brilliantly from start to finish, with several breakaways. His confidence grew for 2021, when he dared to tackle races as a leader, especially in the mountains in the summer. He finished 2nd atop the Lagunas de Neila -taking 7th, as best young rider overall, in the Vuelta a Burgos- and shone in the hilliest courses in the Tour de Pologne, where he spent several days in the overall top-ten, other than taking 5th in the Vuelta a Asturias. The pupil of the Esteban Chaves Foundation hopes to continue improving in 2022.