Returning to raise his arms to the sky at the finish line of the 63rd Trofeo Laigueglia, Santiago Buitrago appeared to lift a considerable burden from his shoulders while simultaneously acquiring an immediate and renewed sense of peace. This was the impression conveyed when meeting the Colombian rider at the press conference who, by winning the Ligurian classic, has broken a drought that had lasted since February 9, 2025, when, capping off a perfect week of racing, he had triumphed in the overall classification of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.

388 days later, Buitrago, who had remained away from competition for over a month after taking part in the Colombian national championships last February 8, has finally tasted the sweet flavor of victory by claiming a race in a place very dear to him and in front of people equally special to him.

"Racing in Italy always makes me happy and I'm pleased to have returned to doing so today in an area where I grew up as a cyclist and in front of what has been a second family for me. At the finish line, in fact, Danilo, the sports director and president of Cinelli (with whom I raced in 2019) Roberto Portunato were present: winning here means even more to me. I wanted to give them, my family, and also the entire team this gift: after so much work at home in Colombia, we can say we're on the right path" explained with great simplicity the second Colombian winner in Laigueglia's history, who crossed the line after a 2025 that he himself did not hide had been particularly difficult.

"It's been a bit heavy not winning for so long. Last year was a tough year with many crashes, lots of bad luck... this year we've changed many things, internally but also in terms of bikes and sponsors, and getting a result like this means I've taken the right path and confirms that I still have the means to win. Raising my arms today for this means so much: I'm happy to start 2026 with a great victory like this" continued the native of Bogotá, who also benefited today from excellent teamwork with Antonio Tiberi.

"I have a good relationship with Antonio. I've been getting along well with him for some time; it's been almost two years since we raced together, because he's always structured his program around the Giro and I around the Tour. This year we started racing together right away here and then, very soon, we'll do Tirreno: we make a nice pairing, in short, and today we proved it on the road".

The teamwork, however, as it turned out to be decisive for today's race outcome, was not the only factor directing victory toward Bahrain-Victorious: as the same twenty-six-year-old South American pointed out, tactical reading and avoiding mishaps also proved equally important.

"Astana worked and spent a lot today, but they were also unlucky with Scaroni's crash. However, in the end this is cycling: sometimes the winner isn't the one who pulls or attacks the most, but the one who reads the race better. We played our cards well, nobody had any crashes and we ended up finishing first and third, a result we can only be very happy about" stated Buitrago, a rider who this year, after two previous participations (each marked by stage victories in 2023 and 2022) will return to the Giro d'Italia with different ambitions.

"This year I want to go to the Giro with the objective of focusing on the general classification because I've already won two stages and in the two previous Giros I've done, I've never had the classification as my main focus. This year I want to change my objective because, as things stand now, I think it's worth more to finish in the top five than to win a stage. So we'll go with that mindset and hopefully we'll achieve that result" announced hopefully the author of his team's second success in this 2026 before a heartfelt closing dedication.

"Today's victory is for my family and in particular for my dad Gustavo and my mom Alba who believe and have never stopped believing in me".