Eduardo Colon Ortiz // Cycling
Motto: “Heart is the difference between those who attempt and those who achieve”
Army Field Artillery Officer Eduardo Colon Ortiz began his bike racing career at 12, inspired by his cyclist father. In 2004 Eduardo was accepted to a specialized sport school in Puerto Rico, where he was twice named Outstanding Athlete of the Year. Eduardo attended the Pontifical University of Puerto Rico, the first athlete to receive a full scholarship in cycling. Between 2006 and 2010 Eduardo balanced his university studies with bike racing, winning the Caribbean Championship on the road, track, and time trial. In 2010 Eduardo finished 4th place in the scratch and omnium at the Central American Games. And he was recognized as athlete of the year – twice – by the Puerto Rico Olympic Committee. “My proudest moments in cycling were wearing the national team uniform of Puerto Rico,” said Eduardo.
After taking a break, in 2012 Eduardo returned to international racing with a vengeance, competing in multiple UCI Track World Cups and finishing top 10 in the Caribbean and Pan American track cycling championships, and 4th in the Scratch and Omnium at the 2014 Central American Games. He ranked top five in American UCI standings, qualifying for the 2015 Toronto Pan American Games where he finished 8th in the scratch and 11th in the omnium. He won the first stage in the 2015 Vuelta Independencia, a UCI 2.2 event in Dominican Republic. From 2014 to 2016 Edurardo also dominated the RedHook Criterium series, earning the title of RockStar Top Antagonist, and in 2016 he picked up another Puerto Rico National Track Championship win.
Eduardo joined the Army and put his cycling career on pause, but after two years he was able to return to racing. He achieved multiple podium finishes across Colorado, Oklahoma and Georgia and traveled home for international pro event La Classica Puerto Rico, earning the title Sprint Champion and finishing 3rd overall in the GC.
In 2023 Eduardo hopes to repeat his wins at the Puerto Rico National Championships in road and track, as well as returning to the Central American Games. He will also compete in the American Criterium Cup and the USA Track Championships, and will apply for the Army’s World Class Athlete Program.