So the reaction to the interview was severe. Were you contacted by the cycling media in Colombia to discuss the interview or the topics you addressed [in the interview Juan Pablo said that a “very, very high number” of riders in the peloton at major Colombian races had doped in recent years, and that as a clean rider he’d never get results in those races.]

Sadly, no. Some of them know what’s going on, but they choose to keep quiet. They don’t dare touch the topic, because they are afraid.

What about the Colombian Cycling Federation? Did they have any interest or want to talk to you?

Yes, but because they seemed to have taken the interview the wrong way, or they simply didn’t know how to interpret it. What they said was that we [Juan Pablo and this blog] were trying to smear Colombian cycling. But I’ll reiterate, that what I talked about was simply what I saw during my entire cycling career, and that's all.

Today, I see some things are getting better. But there’s so much to be done, especially when you realize that this is a sport that so often comes to represent Colombia as a country in the eyes of the world. Because of this, special attention should be given to it, to ensure that those who compete do so in a correct and clean manner.

Did the Federation ask that you retract your statements?

Yes. They asked me to, but I won’t do it. They told me that I couldn’t say these type of things, because it wasn’t good for Colombian cycling.

Were you asked personally by someone from the Federation to do this?

Yes, but I have no interest in saying the name of this person. Because that’s not my intent. Everyone can do whatever they want, but I just want to tell people what I saw. If someone misinterprets my words, that’s not my fault. And in the end, all the attention the interview generated actually led some people to offer up facts about the subject that I didn’t even address.

[As a sidenote, and a point of contrast, it's worth noting that Colombia's cycling federation just last week said it that it was fully behind and happy to support Maria Luisa Calle, the 46 year old track cyclist, as she tested positive for human growth hormone at the Panamerican Games in Toronto. It's her second time testing positive, the first being at the games in Athens. In that case, she was able to show that her body naturally produced heptaminol.]

Let me get back to the threats that you received How did they come your way? Social media alone? What were they?

They were threats meant to intimidate, from people who are clearly not happy when this topic is brought up. They are used to cheating, and no one talking about it. So they would say to me, “Why did you open your mouth? You’re going to pay for what you said.”

The threats came through social media, and I didn’t pay much attention to them, because they come from people with no ethics, people who talk for the sake of talking. But it turned into an uncomfortable situation. My wife began to see these threats, and they made her uncomfortable.

The threats came through Facebook, from other cyclists?

Most came through Facebook. I also got some on my phone as texts.

Did they come from fake Facebook accounts or anonymous phone numbers?

Yes, anonymous numbers, and fake Facebook accounts that were created solely for the purpose of sending those threats. I paid them no mind, but at some point you start to worry and wonder if there could really be something behind them.

Specifically what did the threats say? Did they threaten to harm you? Your family? Would it be in the context of a race, or your everyday life?

A lot of it was implied. For example, it would say, “From now on, you’ll always have to watch your back”, so that could mean anything. But they all consistently talked about my well being, while staying fairly general.

Another thing happened. One specific rider, one with a long career and lots of experience, along with some team directors went to my team (Manzana Postobon) personally about this. They told them that they should have never signed me to a contract, because I would never be allowed to win anything. In fact, that if necessary, they would throw me off of my bike, or push me off to keep me from winning, because so many team directors had been offended by what I said. So they would make my life impossible, to the point of throwing me off of my bike in a race.

[Update: I checked with the team, and they confirmed that threats that were made, as well as the request for retraction that was made]

That’s interesting, because in doing so; those people give themselves away as having skeletons in their closet. Don’t you think? I mean, they clearly have something to hide, because otherwise these statements wouldn’t matter all that much to them.

Exactly. And those who have the most to fear, are the primary ones who, under their own name, started all of this. They tried to block my career, and make me worthless to the team that signed me. So through their actions, they have given themselves away.

This all sound eerily similar to the kind of intimidation that Filippo Simeoni went through in 2004 at the Tour, or perhaps more like the way that Christophe Bassons was treated for addressing this very topic. It’s depressing to think that ten years later, if a rider who is still racing addresses doping, he’ll still be treated the same way.

Yes. And to me, unless those in power within Colombian cycling take a very firm stance on this subject, nothing will change. It will become more engrained.

And because of all this, you have chosen to retire from cycling?

Yes. As of July first.

What was that process like, making that decision.

It was a tough one. Breaking away from my dream, from something I had worked so hard toward for so many years, eleven of them. It was hard, but when you see how things are handled in cycling, you reach a point where the decision you have to make is obvious. You realize that people who are trying to do things correctly are seen as the enemy. You see that some within the press, many team directors and those in the federation don’t even want you to bring up this topic. Because here, the riders are supposed to stay quiet, and be submissive. That’s how things have always been.

All of this filled me with sadness, to the point where I realized it was a war I couldn’t fight, because I was up against people with power, people who are clearly willing to do anything to defend the status quo. Because change, to them, wouldn’t be good. Both for economic reasons, but also because they want to maintain the power they have. I didn’t feel motivated with all of this in mind, on top of the fact that I knew I’d be up against riders who cheat, and play dirty.