The highest placing for a Costa Rican in the second most prestigious cycling race in the world was achieved by Andrey Amador on May 31st, 2015, in the Giro d’Italia.

The race was an arduous 3,481 kilometers through the mountains and plains of Italy spanning from the race’s beginning at San Lorenzo al Mare to its finish in Milan. The champion, Alberto Contador, dislocated his shoulder and crashed twice before finishing the three week race. Andrey Amador became the highest placing Central American cyclist in cycling history.

Amador races for Movistar Team, Giovanni Visconti of Italy, also of Movistar Team, won the mountain classification for the tournament. Amador and Viconti along with the other members of Movistar Team brought back fourth and fifth team places for Fast Team and Super Team Classifications in Giro d’Italia along with their personal victories in the General Classification (Amador) and the Mountain Classification (Visconti).

Amador was surprised and pleased by the placing, and said that he knew he was in good shape before the race. This achievement comes just five years after being beaten and left for dead while training for a race. He was accosted during his last training ride of the year, and his bike was stolen by the men who beat him and tossed him into a river bed. His lungs were bruised, and his kidney was left non-functioning after the assault. Amador stayed in a hospital bed after the attack.

After his recovery, Andrey Amador won the fourteenth stage at the Giro d’Italia, and became the first Costa Rican to ever win a stage at a grand tour event. Amador will continue with the grand tour in France for Le Tour de France in July.