Activity 1 – Reading (a famous person)

A. Complete the text by adding the quotations a) – e) to the

corresponding spaces (1) – (5).

a) “but from that day my life changed.”

b) “I didn’t even have racing equipment and clothing,”
c) “Spectacular scenery! When I train, I love to look around; it’s a sort of
mental yoga,”
d) “We were well-prepared but we didn’t win because it was a circuit that
did not suit us. In the end, it was a surprise,”
e) “When I crashed at the Deutschland Tour in 2007, I broke a lot of
bones, and they were there for me,”

Rigoberto Uran

Colombian cyclist Rigoberto Uran was born on January 26, 1987 in the town of Urrao
in Colombia’s central state of Antioquia. He discovered his talent for cycling at the
age of 14 when he won his first race, a time trial.
(1) a) “but from that day my life changed. Uran recalled in local media, (2) b) “I
didn’t even have racing equipment and clothing,”
He was introduced to the sport by his father and mentor, who was tragically
assassinated by paramilitaries when young “Riguito” was still a teenager.
In his father’s absence, Uran had to help his family by becoming a lottery ticket seller
until he was 16 when he moved to Colombia’s second largest city Medellin to
become a professional cyclist on the Orgullo Paisa team.

Professional Career
At the age of 19, he moved to Italy to ride for Team Tenax Salmilano and later for
Unibet.com — sponsored by the online gambling website of the same name.
In 2007, Uran won the eighth stage of the “Tour de Suisse” in Switzerland, finishing
ninth overall.
That same year, he competed in the German “Deutschland Tour” where he was
neck-and-neck with the eventual stage winner before he flew down a mountain
stream and crashed into a retaining wall, fracturing both his elbows, his collarbone,
and his right wrist.
After the crash, Uran recuperated for six months and lived in his adopted European
home of Brescia, Italy where he has many friends and a “very special second
family,” including a fan club of about 70 members.
(3) e) “When I crashed at the Deutschland Tour in 2007, I broke a lot of
bones, and they were there for me,” he said regarding the accident.
The following year, the young cyclist signed a contract with Italy’s Caisse d’Epargne
team where he enjoyed three years of successful competition and acquired valuable
experience that earned him a spot among European cycling’s elite.
Uran began to rack-up more prestigious honors when he won the youth rider
classification at the Giro d’Italia and earned the silver medal at the 2012 Summer
Olympic Games in London.
(4) d) “We were well-prepared but we didn’t win because it was a circuit
that did not suit us. In the end, it was a surprise,” said Uran after taking
second place at the Olympics.
Uran competed once again at the Giro d’Italia in 2013 for Team Sky, only this time
he achieved second-place honors, becoming the first ever Colombian to make the
podium at that event.
On May 22, 2014, Rigoberto Uran moved into first place of the Giro d’Italia after
winning the 12th stage, which is the halfway mark of the race. However, he was
unable to consolidate his position and he finished second again in the general
classification, this time behind his countryman Nairo Quintana.
In 2016, Uran joined the Cannondale pro cycling team and stated that in 2017 he
would be switching his main goal from winning the Giro d’Italia to finishing first in the
Tour de France, cycling’s most prestigious stage race.
He won a stage in La Tour that year and finished second in Paris, the best
performance in France ever by a Colombian rider.
Personal Facts
Uran’s favorite race is the Giro di Lombardia.
Among his many hobbies and interests, traveling is favorite behind his passion for
cycling.
During his childhood, little “Rigo” was a rebellious student who also stood-out for his
intelligence in classrooms, where he showed a particular talent for hard work.
Rigo loves to train on his home roads in the mountains near Medellin at altitudes of
6,500 to 8,000 feet in elevation.
(5) c) “Spectacular scenery! When I train, I love to look around; it’s a sort
of mental yoga,” he said.
Adapted from: https://colombiareports.com/rigoberto-uran/ by Colombia Reports April 1, 2017

B. Indicate the kind of relationship the words in bold are creating among
the parts of the text (e.g. sequence, addition, example, etc.)

and Addition
later Sequence
where Sequence
once again Sequence
However Addition
C. Replace the underlined words in the text with the corresponding
synonym expression or meaning below.

1. so close that is impossible to tell who is winning. _____ neck-and-

neck__________
2. obtain or achieve. _______rack-up________
3. race against the watch. _________ time trial______