Luis Colon and Michelle Burgos dominated most of The Amazing Race season 34 with their strategizing, and many fans thought they would stay front-runners in the final leg. The married couple gained admiration from viewers for their upbeat attitude during challenges and unwavering desire to achieve more in the race. Many fans expected Luis and Michelle to win the whole competition, but struggles with the last leg led to them falling behind and coming in third place.
Luis and Michelle were one of the teams thrown off by The Amazing Race's scramble twist in the first leg. After finishing tenth, the married couple reevaluated their strategy and worked their way up after each leg. From then on, the team stayed on top and accomplished an impressive three leg wins during the season.
Luis & Michelle Struggled With Final Roadblock
In an interview with Parade, Luis and Michelle discussed their strategy for the final leg and how it contributed to their third-place finish. Going into the finale, front-runners Luis and Michelle believed they could win The Amazing Race. Luis said, "We thought going in the Roadblock was gonna be a possible memory task. That's why I had Michelle go." However, it was a physical challenge involving climbing up a bridge, which Michelle struggled with. It was followed by the piano detour, which was one of the most difficult tasks of the season for all three teams.
Luis & Michelle Got Unlucky
When Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss finished the piano task first, Luis and Michelle kept their spirits high and kept going even though they knew the race was over. Regarding the final leg, Michelle said, "That's the most beautiful thing about The Amazing Race, because you never know who's gonna win until the last task comes." Every team starts out on an equal playing field in the last leg, and it all comes down to the final tasks. Unfortunately for Luis and Michelle, Derek's background playing piano gave Derek and Claire enough of an advantage to pull ahead.
Their lack of piano knowledge resulted in them not checking all the piano keys, which put them further behind. Viewers have seen how teams such as Quinton Peron and Mattie Lynch benefited from tasks that fit their skill set, and Luis and Michelle could have possibly benefited from a different challenge. They ultimately got unlucky that their backgrounds did not help them in the last challenge, and all of their strategizing ahead of the finale did not pay off.
Like any other team competing on The Amazing Race, if the task played into their skills, the results could be different. A dancing or other physically demanding challenge would have suited the married couple better in the final leg. Luis and Michelle's third-place finish shows that no matter how well a team does before the finale, only the last leg determines who takes home the win and the grand prize. Still, Luis and Michelle can leave the show feeling accomplished for the wins they did have on The Amazing Race season 34.
Source: Luis Colon/Instagram, Parade