# Vuelta a Colombia

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, and is currently held as a category 2.2 event on the UCI America Tour.

## History

The 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. Thirty-five cyclists lined up for the race and of which thirty finished the race. The first champion of Vuelta was Efraín Forero Triviño who won seven stages of the race. 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. The 3rd edition of the race was the first edition to have 15 stages that covered 1,750 km.
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. 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.
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.

## Doping

On 21 November, 2017, Róbinson López (Lotería de Boyacá), current U23 Colombian champion, tested positive for the third generation blood booster – CERA. 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.

## Past winners

| Year | Country | Rider | Team |
| 1951 | Colombia | Efraín Forero Triviño | Planta de Soda de Zipaquirá-Cundinamarca |
| 1952 | France | José Beyaert | Automoto Valle |
| 1953 | Colombia | Ramón Hoyos | Coltejer–Antioquia A |
| 1954 | Colombia | Ramón Hoyos | Antioquia Fuerzas Armadas |
| 1955 | Colombia | Ramón Hoyos | Coltejer–Antioquia |
| 1956 | Colombia | Ramón Hoyos | Antioquia A |
| 1957 | Spain | José Gómez del Moral | Spain (national team) |
| 1958 | Colombia | Ramón Hoyos | |
| 1959 | Colombia | Rubén Darío Gómez | |
| 1960 | Colombia | Hernán Medina Calderón | Antioquia-Cervunión |
| 1961 | Colombia | Rubén Darío Gómez | Camisas Jarcano |
| 1962 | Colombia | Roberto Buitrago | |
| 1963 | Colombia | Martín Emilio Rodríguez | Antioquia Blue Bell–Wrangler |
| 1964 | Colombia | Martín Emilio Rodríguez | Antioquia A |
| 1965 | Colombia | Javier Suárez | Antioquia Suramericana |
| 1966 | Colombia | Martín Emilio Rodríguez | |
| 1967 | Colombia | Martín Emilio Rodríguez | Antioquia Wrangler-Caribú |
| 1968 | Colombia | Pedro Julio Sánchez | Telepostal |
| 1969 | Colombia | Pablo Hernández | Pierce Cundinamarca |
| 1970 | Colombia | Rafael Antonio Niño | Junta Administradora de Deportes-Cundinamarca |
| 1971 | Colombia | Álvaro Pachón | Singer |
| 1972 | Colombia | Miguel Samacá | Singer |
| 1973 | Colombia | Rafael Antonio Niño | Ferretería Reina |
| 1974 | Colombia | Miguel Samacá | Licorera de Cundinamarca |
| 1975 | Colombia | Rafael Antonio Niño | Banco Cafetero |
| 1976 | Colombia | José Patrocinio Jiménez | Banco Cafetero |
| 1977 | Colombia | Rafael Antonio Niño | Banco Cafetero |
| 1978 | Colombia | Rafael Antonio Niño | Benotto |
| 1979 | Colombia | Alfonso Flórez Ortiz | Freskola A |
| 1980 | Colombia | Rafael Antonio Niño | Droguería Yaneth |
| 1981 | Colombia | Fabio Parra | Lotería de Boyacá |
| 1982 | Colombia | Cristóbal Pérez | Lotería de Boyacá |
| 1983 | Colombia | Alfonso Flórez Ortiz | Varta–Colombia |
| 1984 | Colombia | Luis Herrera | Varta–Colombia |
| 1985 | Colombia | Luis Herrera | Varta–Café de Colombia |
| 1986 | Colombia | Luis Herrera | Café de Colombia-Varta |
| 1987 | Colombia | Pablo Wilches | Postóbon–Manzana |
| 1988 | Colombia | Luis Herrera | Café de Colombia |
| 1989 | Colombia | Oliverio Rincón | Castalia |
| 1990 | Colombia | Gustavo Wilches | Postóbon–Manzana–Ryalcao |
| 1991 | Colombia | Álvaro Sierra | Postóbon–Manzana |
| 1992 | Colombia | Fabio Parra | Amaya Seguros |
| 1993 | Colombia | Carlos Jaramillo | Aguardiente Antioquena |
| 1994 | Colombia | Chepe González | Postóbon–Manzana |
| 1995 | Colombia | Chepe González | Kelme–Pony Malta |
| 1996 | Colombia | Miguel Ángel Sanabria | Selle Italia–Gaseosas Glacial–Magniflex |
| 1997 | Colombia | José Castelblanco | Telecom–Capitel–Kelme |
| 1998 | Colombia | José Castelblanco | Avianca–Telecom–Kelme |
| 1999 | Colombia | Carlos Alberto Contreras | Kelme–Costa Blanca |
| 2000 | Colombia | Héctor Palacio | 05 Orbitel |
| 2001 | Colombia | Hernán Buenahora | Selle Italia Baterías MAC |
| 2002 | Colombia | José Castelblanco | Colombia Selle Italia Alc.Cabimas |
| 2003 | Colombia | Libardo Niño | Lotería de Boyacá |
| 2004 | Colombia | José Castelblanco | Orbitel-05 |
| 2005 | Colombia | Libardo Niño | Lotería de Boyacá–Coordinadora |
| 2006 | Colombia | José Castelblanco | Gobernación del Zulia–ALC Cabimas |
| 2007 | Colombia | Santiago Botero | UNE–Orbitel |
| 2008 | Colombia | Giovanny Báez | EPM–UNE |
| 2009 | Venezuela | José Rujano | Gobernación del Zulia |
| 2010 | Colombia | Sergio Henao | Indeportes Antioquia–Idea–FLA–Lotería de Medellín |
| 2011 | Colombia | Félix Cárdenas | GW–Shimano |
| 2012 | Colombia | Félix Cárdenas | GW–Shimano |
| 2013 | Spain | Óscar Sevilla | EPM–UNE |
| 2014 | Spain | Óscar Sevilla | EPM–UNE–Área Metropolitana |
| 2015 | Spain | Óscar Sevilla | EPM–UNE–Área Metropolitana |
| 2016 | Colombia | Mauricio Ortega | Supergiros–Gane–Redetrans |
| 2017 | Colombia | Aristóbulo Cala | Bicicletas Strongman |
| 2018 | Ecuador | Jonathan Caicedo | Medellín |
| 2019 | Colombia | Fabio Duarte | Medellín |
| 2020 | Colombia | Diego Camargo | Colombia Tierra de Atletas–GW Bicicletas |
| 2021 | Colombia | José Tito Hernández | Team Medellín |
| 2022 | Colombia | Fabio Duarte | Team Medellín–EPM |
| 2023 | Colombia | Miguel Ángel López | Team Medellín–EPM |
| 2024 | Colombia | Rodrigo Contreras | Nu Colombia |