Former cycling champion Marlon Pérez killed in armed robbery
"The Colombian police and the Attorney General's Office have taken on the investigation that will allow them to clarify the murder of Marlon Pérez quickly," stated the local governor. The sport of cycling mourns the departure of a local legend...
The governor of Antioquia, Andres Julian Rondon, shared this message after the death of the Colombian cyclist Marlon Alirio Pérez was confirmed.
The former champion of the points race at the 1994 UCI Junior Track Cycling World Championships in Ecuador died in the hospital of Antioquia, where he was taken into care after being the victim of an armed robbery.
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According to Andrés Julián Rondón, "the cyclist was found on a public road in Carmen de Viboral, with a stab wound" which ultimately resulted in his death.
According to local press, he was jabbed multiple times near the neck, causing him to bleed out almost immediately.
Pérez, 48, was a "prominent cyclist and former world champion on the track," as the Colombian Cycling Federation stated in a statement, mourning the violent incident that cost the athlete his life, according to beIN Sports.
Photo: Instagram - Javier Serna
Pérez was a cyclist who made a name for himself in his country before making the leap to Selle Italia and subsequently passing through well-known teams such as Team Tenax (2006), Universal Caffé (2007) and Caisse d'Epargne (2008-2009).
Pérez became Pan American Time Trial Champion at the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, as well as World Paracycling Tandem Champion as Javier Serna's guide in 2017.
Photo: Instagram - Javier Serna
However, he was also a Colombian idol for having represented his country in three Olympic Games (Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004), as well as in the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Photo: Colombian Olympic Committee - X
On the other hand, Pérez was very popular in the cycling world, as he was responsible for managing the arrival of several Latin American riders to European teams. May he rest in peace.
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