EVERY Sunday thousands of Bogotanos indulge their passion for cycling. More than 120km of the capital's traffic-choked streets turn into festive bicycle routes known as ciclovías. This week, however, drivers also endured an unscheduled bike-related disruption. On August 13th troves of fans poured onto the streets to welcome home Nairo Quintana, whose recent exploits hark back to the glory days of Colombian cycling in the 1980s and 90s, when its extraordinary climbers were known as the escarabajos or beetles. In July the 23-year-old Mr Quintana (pictured waving to the crowd) came second overall in the Tour de France, the world's most gruelling, and most presitigious, bike race. He also won its young-riders classification and sashayed around the Champs Elysées in the coveted polka-dot jersey for its best climber. That makes him the most successful Latin American participant in history. Two Colombians, Luis "Lucho" Herrera and Santiago Botero, had previously been crowned king of the mountains, and two others, Fabio Parra and Álvaro Mejía Castrillón, ended the Tour as the highest-placed youngsters. None, however, did both at once, or climbed so high in the overall standings. Cycling Inquisition, a local blog, hailed it as "the best showing of any Colombian at the Tour. Ever." (Just for good measure, before returning home Mr Quintana won a smaller race, Vuelta a Burgos.)

An open-topped bus ferried the diminutive cyclist from the airport to the presidential palace where Juan Manuel Santos, its current occupant, conferred on him the Cruz de Boyacá, the country's second-most prestigious decoration. In exchange, Quintana handed the president his framed polka-dot jersey. "My eyes watered when I saw you on the Champs Elysées," Mr Santos gleamed. "All of Colombia was moved."

After the fanfare in Bogotá Mr Quintana went to his home town in the rugged mountains of Boyaca province, where as a teenager he would ride to school on a cheap, second-hand bike. "Eight years ago, I was just learning to ride," he recalled at a press conference.

Now many fans figure that if Colombia's star is rising once again in cycling, its fortune can turn for their other favourite sport, football. Although Colombia has not qualified for a World Cup since 1998, today it is number three in the world. Understandably, Colombians cannot wait until the tournament comes to Brazil next year. Should their country reach the final, to be held on July 13th, they will have a busy day in front of the TV: the Sunday falls on the second weekend of the Tour de France, when riders, Mr Quintana probably among them, typically face their first big alpine challenge.