The Vuelta a Colombia (Spanish for Tour of Colombia) is an annual cycling road race, run over many stages throughout different regions in Colombia and sometimes Venezuela and Ecuador during the first days of August. It is organized by the Colombian Cycling Federation,[1] and is currently held as a category 2.2 event on the UCI America Tour.
 2012 Vuelta a Colombia | |
| Race details | |
|---|---|
| Date | August (until 2020) June (since 2022) |
| Region | Colombia |
| English name | Tour of Colombia |
| Local name(s) | Vuelta a Colombia (in Spanish) |
| Discipline | Road race |
| Competition | UCI America Tour |
| Type | Stage race |
| Organiser | Colombian Cycling Federation |
| Web site | www |
| History | |
| First edition | 1951 |
| Editions | 74 (as of 2024) |
| First winner |  Efraín Forero Triviño (COL) |
| Most wins | Rafael Antonio Niño (COL) (6 wins) |
| Most recent | Rodrigo Contreras (COL) |
History
editThe first Vuelta a Colombia was held in 1951 as an idea of Englishman Donald W. Raskin and a few of his friends, emulating the European Tour de France. It was a 1,233 kilometers race which was divided in 10 stages which included three rest days.[2] Thirty-five cyclists lined up for the race and of which thirty finished the race.[3] The first champion of Vuelta was Efraín Forero Triviño who won seven stages of the race.[4] For the second edition, the race was increased in stages to 13 and was around 1,670 km in length. It was held from the 12 to the 27 or 28 January 1952. It appears that 60 cyclists lined up for the race.[5] The 3rd edition of the race was the first edition to have 15 stages that covered 1,750 km.[6]
Over the years, there has been several serious accidents and even deaths during the race. Some of these cyclists, who have had very serious and career-ending accidents, include Conrado "Tito" Gallo, Gilberto Achicanoy, Felipe Liñán and Ernesto Santander.[7] In 2005, there was a tragic accident in Vuelta in which a local radio journalist, Alberto Martínez Prader, died while transmitting the race. Martinez was traveling in a jeep with José Fernando López and Héctor Urrego when, descending from the La Linea peak towards Calarcá, the vehicle lost control on a curve and fell into a ravine.[8]
It is currently a fifteen-stage race that is regarded as one of the toughest races in cycling. The mountain passes that the peloton encounters are hundreds of metres higher than any of the passes used in the Tour de France.
The 2010 edition was won by Sergio Luis Henao of the Indeportes Antioquia–Idea–FLA–Lotería de Medellín Team ahead of teammate Óscar Sevilla and José Rujano, the previous year's winner.[9]
Doping
editOn 21 November, 2017, Róbinson López (Lotería de Boyacá), current U23 Colombian champion, tested positive for the third generation blood booster – CERA.[10] A week later, news broke that Luis Alberto Largo (Sogamoso–Argos–Cooservicios–Idrs), Edward Díaz (EPM), Jonathan Felipe Paredes and Fabio Nelson Montenegro (Ebsa–Indeportes Boyacá), Luis Camargo Flechas (Supergiros) and Óscar Soliz (Movistar Amateur Team) had all tested positive for CERA at the 2017 edition of the race.[11]
Past winners
edit
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Federacion Colombiana de Ciclismo" (in Spanish). Ciclismode colombia. Archived from the original on 2007-07-01. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
- ^ "History of the Vuelta a Colombia". Compania Nacional de Chocolates. Retrieved 2007-08-10.
- ^ "1a Vuelta a Colombia". Retrieved 2007-10-19.
- ^ "Vuelta a Colombia Histoia 1951". Ciclismo de Colombia. Archived from the original on 2007-03-27. Retrieved 2007-08-11.
- ^ "2a Vuelta a Colombia". Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2007-10-19.
- ^ "3a Vuelta a Colombia 1953". Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2007-10-19.
- ^ "Anecdotario de la Vuelta". Retrieved 2007-10-19.
- ^ "Sports journalist dies in accident in Tour of Colombia". People's Daily online. Retrieved 2007-10-19.
- ^ "Henao wins Vuelta a Colombia". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2010-09-17.
- ^ "Colombian U23 champion tests positive for CERA – Cyclingnews.com".
- ^ "Eight riders test positive at Vuelta a Colombia". Cyclingnews.com.