BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Like most Colombian cyclists, Egan Bernal is a gifted climber.

Unlike most Colombian cyclists, he took advantage of those climbing skills honed in the Andean country to reach the pinnacle of the sport, a victory in the Tour de France on Sunday.

Bernal, 22, is not only the first Colombian to win but also the youngest champion of the Tour de France since 1909, and the first Latin American champion in the entire history of the competition. With his win, he fulfilled what had been a Colombian dream since 1975, when Cochise Rodríguez, an early luminary for that country in the sport, made his debut in the race and finished 27th overall.

Only two other Colombians had ever managed to get the sought-after yellow jersey — albeit briefly, and never to the finish line.

“This triumph is not only mine, but of a whole country,’’ an emotional Bernal told reporters after completing the race’s penultimate stage. He recalled that just a few years ago he was watching the race on television, when winning “seemed impossible.”