Like his figures, Mr Botero is hard to pigeonhole, even among Latin American artists.

ECONOMIST: Latin American painting

Mr Botero still works every day in one of his many studios on either side of the Atlantic.

ECONOMIST: Latin American painting

As a child, Mr Botero was sent to bull-fighting school but decided that painting would be safer and more fun.

ECONOMIST: Latin American painting

The team have six newcomers, among them world time trial champion Santiago Botero, Giro winner Paolo Savoldelli and Australian Cadel Evans.

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To delve deeper into this topic, I reached out to Andres Botero, an SAP expert on Transportation Management, to get his perspective.

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The fireplace-warmed lounge is watched over by a Botero painting, and the bar is decked out with vintage barber stools and musical instruments.

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McGee believes his main opposition will come from Armstrong, Ullrich, his countryman Michael Rogers and Santiago Botero, "although there are others who can spring a surprise".

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The team is not just about Zabel, Botero and Savoldelli and, in Americans Bobby Julich and Kevin Livingstone, they have two experienced riders capable of lasting the distance.

BBC: Telekom

Botero was the one man capable of pushing Lance Armstrong in last year's race when he surprisingly beat him in the first main time trial of the race.

BBC: Telekom

The truth is, Mr Botero is one of a kind.

ECONOMIST: Latin American painting