For the second year in a row, Diana Peñuela (DNA Pro Cycling) was crowned Colombia's national road race champion, finishing in the final stages of the race. Her victory in Bucaramanga came a day after she won the silver medal in the individual time trial by 16 seconds over Lina Marcella Hernandez.

In 2022, Penuela won her first national title in Pereira after winning a silver (2015), a bronze (2021), and three fourth places in road races in the past decade.

"Last year was almost a frantic mental and physical effort after being so close for so many years. And of course, it was to mark very strong riders like Paula (Patiño) and Natalia (Franco)," Peñuela said of his successful road race title defense against the best of the World Tour and Continental.

"I stuck with it, kept my cool, and everything turned out great."

The women's circuit race for the Colombian National Championships, held on February 3, was a 118.4 km race of five laps around Alto Parqueadero with an average gradient of 8%. Penuela was part of a decisive breakaway group of eight riders that formed on the last lap, and she joined Patiño (Movistar), Franco (WCC Team), and five others at the finish line The DNA Pro Cycling rider jumped with 50 meters to go and held off Patiño for the win! [DNA Pro Cycling's team rider, Franco, was the first to finish the race. [Penuela finished fourth on the day, but won four other stages in a row to take the overall win.

"There is nothing better than being able to represent the world in three different colors of the national champion jersey," Penuela said after his win.

Penuela will open the season with DNA Pro Cycling at the GP Oettingen in Belgium in March and the Tour de Normandie in France. He then competes in the early season UCI stage races in the U.S., the Tour of the Gila and the Joe Martin stage race, and in the spring 2022 campaign, he finished fourth overall at the Redlands Bicycle Classic in California, but will instead compete in mid-April in Panama at the He will compete in the Pan American Road Championships in Panama in mid-April.

"This was my first goal for the season. Not only for my trade team, but also to compete in the Pan American Games as part of the Colombian national team. I am looking forward to an exciting season with DNA Pro Cycling. I especially look forward to supporting our new young riders and helping them achieve results."

Now in his eighth year as a professional, Penuela begins his second season with the U.S. Continental team DNA Pro Cycling this year and is under contract through 2024. The team has 13 riders this season and can support the team in both road races and US criteriums, including the American Criterium Cup The ACC's new season opener is the Athens Twilight Criterium in Georgia on April 22, with Gira and Joe Martin's stage race sandwiched in between.