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Marlon Pérez, a Colombian ex-pro who helped Rigoberto Urán land in Europe, was tragically killed following a violent altercation, Colombian media reported.
Authorities said that Pérez sustained a fatal knife wound to the neck during a dispute with a suspect on Thursday. After being rushed to a nearby hospital, Pérez later died from his injuries, according to media reports. He was 48.
Not a major name in European racing, Pérez was a bigger star on home roads.
Pérez won three national time trial titles, six Vuelta a Colombia stages, and a gold medal in the 2011 Pan American Games time trial.
He also played a crucial role in helping Urán launch his European career by recommending him to the Irish team Tenax-Salmilano in 2006 when Urán — set to retire this season — was just 19.
He was part of a generation of riders who came after the famed “Escarabajos” of the 1980s and the modern renaissance that started with Urán.
Pérez served as a mentor for riders like Urán, with successes that continued with Nairo Quintana and eventually Egan Bernal becoming the first Colombian to win the Tour de France.
La delincuencia acabó con la vida Marlon Pérez, adiós al ciclista, adiós a un grande. A su familia y amigos mi solidaridad. pic.twitter.com/OMlHtTU5Ai
— Luis Alfonso Galán Corredor (@AlfonsoGalanC) October 4, 2024
Authorities are currently investigating the incident, and the suspect is in custody, reported the Colombian newspaper Semana.
He retired from professional cycling in 2016 after a career that included three starts in the Giro d’Italia and stints with top teams such as Colombia-Selle Italia and Caisse d’Epargne (now Movistar).
