One of the most experienced riders in the Colombian legion in Europe is Winner Anacona. Since 2008 when he moved to the Old Continent to ride for amateur teams, he has gradually moved into the big leagues of world cycling: the World Tour. He has enjoyed his successful moments with a stage win in the Vuelta a Espana and tremendous work for Nairo Quintana in the Alpe d’Huez stage of this year’s Tour de France.

Anacona wants to repeat that performance in 2016 but this time he hopes that it will lead to overall victory. "This year it is a Tour that is well suited to our characteristics and we'll see if we can bring the first victory to Colombia and Latin America," Anacona told BiciCiclismo shortly after becoming a father. "It was a good and positive year, but I want to keep doing things well and with the team we have big goals such as the Tour de France. I would also like to celebrate another year with a win. That was the bitter taste. I felt great, it was a great season but I missed the personal triumph. Collectively everything was very positive and I think next year will be better than this," he tells the Spanish site.

This year Movistar has reinforced their roster by signing Carlos Betancur and Daniel Moreno.

“Dani is a respected rider and he has a very high level,” Anacona says. “He is a very big and very important reinforcement. I think it's very positive. And Carlos is a rider who has a lot of class and after a bad year he joins a large and experienced team where there is a very friendly atmosphere. I think we will rediscover the Carlos we have seen in the past and he will deliver a great show again.

“Dani is a very important piece of the puzzle and I think that he is suited to Nairo and the whole team because he is a very good climber. I think he is one of the strongest in the peloton and he is an important asset.”

This year Anacona spent his first year as Quintana’s domestique and he is confident in his leader

“Nairo has had outstanding years and I know that he has great ambitions and eyes on the Tour,” he says. “He will surely be prepared for that and he will always do his best when he has targeted something. This year the Tour is suited to his characteristics and we'll see if we can bring the first win to Colombia and Latin America.”

It is not secret that Movistar manager Eusebio Unzue has huge confidence in his leader.

“I think it's because he realizes the professionalism, commitment and dedication that he shows. He works very well in Colombia and uses his heart and soul to do things right. That gives confidence for him and the team.”

Anacona again expects to be at Quintana’s side in France.

“There are two leaders in Nairo (Quintana) and Alejandro (Valverde) so I will have to look for opportunities where I can,” he says. “I think I'll be in the Tour de France again. This year I was third in a stage and why not hope to win one? It would be nice to win, but the main objective is to win the Tour with Nairo. That’s the main priority first and if I can take a stage win, it will be very special.”

Being a climber, Anacona is an obvious candidate for the Colombian team for the mountainous Olympics road race.

“It's a bit premature to talk about that,” he says. “I think there are five spots for Colombia and in the end you have to prove that you deserve to be there. I've never done the Olympics and I'd love to do it. It would be something spectacular. We'll see if what I can do in the early part of the year.”

For now, Anacona has his eyes on his first races.

“I think I will again start at the National Championships (February 3-7). I will not be in San Luis. The I will do the one-day Nobili race in Italy and then the Volta a Catalunya,” he says.