Martín Emilio Rodríguez


Martín Emilio Rodríguez Gutiérrez, known by the nickname Cochise, is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist.
Cochise started his first Vuelta a Colombia in 1961. He would win his first Vuelta two years later in 1963 and would win the event four times in total. He was the road racing champion of Colombia in 1965. He had won gold in the 4,000-metre pursuit at the Central American Games in 1962, the Bolivarian Games in 1965, the American Games in 1965 and 1966 and the Pan-American Games in 1967. Cochise also won Colombia’s second most important stage race, the Clásico RCN, in 1963 as well as winning the Vuelta al Táchira in Venezuela three times. On 7 October 1970, Cochise beat the world hour record.
In 1971 in Track World Championships in Varese, Rodriguez won the Amateurs 4.000ms individual track pursuit beating Swiss Josef Fuchs. Cochise turned professional in 1973 where he won two stages in the Giro d'Italia. Cochise was partnered with the great Italian champion Felice Gimondi for two-man time trial events and won the 1973 Baracchi Trophy and the Verona Grand Prix. Cochise rode the 1975 Tour de France and finished 27th overall. After 1975, Cochise returned to Colombia and competed again as an amateur, winning a final stage in the Vuelta a Colombia in 1980. Cochise is currently involved with a Colombian professional team Indeportes Antioquia that has former time trial world champion Santiago Botero.
The nickname "Cochise" is derived from the fact that he was a great admirer of the Apache chief Cochise.
He also competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics and the 1968 Summer Olympics.