Vuelta a Guatemala

Vuelta a Guatemala
Race details
Date October–November
Region Guatemala
English name Tour of Guatemala
Discipline Road race
Competition UCI America Tour
Type Stage race
Organiser Fed. Nacional de Ciclismo de Guatemala
History
First edition 1957
Editions 53 (as of 2013)
First winner Guatemala Jorge Surqué
Most wins 2 times:
Guatemala Aureliano Cuque López
Colombia José Patrocinio Jiménez
Guatemala Edin Roberto Nova
Costa Rica Juan Carlos Rojas
Most recent  Alex Cano (COL)

The Vuelta a Guatemala (Spanish for Tour of Guatemala) is a multi-day road bicycle racing stage race held annually and typically during late October and early November in several locations in Guatemala. The competition carries a UCI rating of 2.2 (having also been rated 2.5 from 2002 to 2004)[1] and is part of the UCI America Tour, which is one of six UCI Continental Circuits sponsored by the Union Cycliste Internationale, the sport's international governing body.[2] The race is organized by the Federacion Nacional de Ciclismo de Guatemala.

History

The Vuelta a Guatemala, which has become the largest sporting event in the country in terms of spectator affluence, was first held in 1957. The winner of the first edition was local racer Jorge Surqué, and during the first four years, the competition was dominated by Guatemalan and Colombian participants. As of 2007, Colombia is the nation with the most wins all-time, with 21 general classification individual wins.

From 1992 to 1996, five different Colombian participants took five consecutive titles, before local racer Luis Rodolfo Muj won in 1997, becoming the first Guatemalan to finish first since Edin Roberto Nova had won his second tour in 1988, and ending the longest drought of titles for his country.

The winner of the 2004 edition of the race, Lizandro Ajcú, was disqualified afterwards for doping in what was the biggest doping case of the race’s history – nine riders including the first four on the General classification returned positive A samples.[3]

In 2005, the tour was cancelled after Tropical Storm Stan's heavy rainfalls caused floods and mudslides which damaged infrastructure and caused 1500 deaths weeks before the race was due to begin.[4][5]

The LII edition of the race in 2011 was cancelled by the organizers shortly before the start of the race. Heavy rains during September and October damaged roads and paths, and the Guatemala Government, having concerns for life safety, decreed the cancellation as the infrastructure could not be restored in such a short period and re-scheduling of the event was not feasible due to the busy schedules of different participants.[6] The event was then scheduled for May 13–20, 2012.[7]

Past winners

Numerous fans gather in Quetzaltenango to observe a stage of the XLVIII Vuelta a Guatemala in 2007
Rider Team
1957 Guatemala Surqué, JorgeJorge Surqué (GUA)
1958 Colombia Medina, HernánHernán Medina (COL)
1959 Guatemala Cuque, AurelianoAureliano Cuque (GUA)
1960 Colombia Luque, JorgeJorge Luque (COL)
1961 Guatemala Cuque, AurelianoAureliano Cuque (GUA)
1962 Spain Martín, EstebanEsteban Martín (ESP)
1963 Guatemala Pontaza, Juan JoséJuan José Pontaza (GUA)
1964 Colombia Gómez, Rubén DaríoRubén Darío Gómez (COL)
1965 Spain Segu, JoséJosé Segu (ESP)
1966 Guatemala Rustrián, SaturninoSaturnino Rustrián (GUA)
1967 Guatemala Rustrián, BenignoBenigno Rustrián (GUA)
1968 Spain Galera, ManuelManuel Galera (ESP)
1969 Spain Sánchez, FulgencioFulgencio Sánchez (ESP)
1970 Spain Abelda, JoséJosé Abelda (ESP)
1971 Guatemala Nufio, MarioMario Nufio (GUA)
1972 Guatemala Herrera, SamuelSamuel Herrera (GUA)
1973 Colombia Tobar, Luis LeonardoLuis Leonardo Tobar (COL)
1974 No race
1975 Mexico Ceja, ManuelManuel Ceja (MEX)
1976 Colombia Jiménez, José PatrocinioJosé Patrocinio Jiménez (COL)
1977 Colombia Jiménez, José PatrocinioJosé Patrocinio Jiménez (COL)
1978 No race
1979 Mexico Cólex, BernardoBernardo Cólex (MEX)
1980 Colombia Cabrera, SamuelSamuel Cabrera (COL)
1981 Guatemala Dubón, HéctorHéctor Dubón (GUA)
1982 Colombia Tolosa, RafaelRafael Tolosa (COL)
1983 Guatemala Castañeda, VictorVictor Castañeda (GUA)
1984 Guatemala Nova, EdinEdin Nova (GUA)
1985 Colombia Patarroyo, HéctorHéctor Patarroyo (COL)
1986 Colombia López, JosuéJosué López (COL)
1987 Colombia Castillo, OrlandoOrlando Castillo (COL)
1988 Guatemala Nova, EdinEdin Nova (GUA)
1989 Chile Vargas, DanielDaniel Vargas (CHI)
1990 Colombia Rico, AdolfoAdolfo Rico (COL)
1991 Costa Rica Brenes, AndrésAndrés Brenes (CRC)
1992 Colombia Castelblanco, JoséJosé Castelblanco (COL)
1993 Colombia Robles, JoséJosé Robles (COL)
1994 Cuba Valdés, EliecerEliecer Valdés (CUB)
1995 Colombia Hernández, JairoJairo Hernández (COL)
1996 Colombia Fonseca, GracianoGraciano Fonseca (COL)
1997 Guatemala Muj, Luis RodolfoLuis Rodolfo Muj (GUA) Windsor-Guatemala
1998 Colombia Sarmiento, IsmaelIsmael Sarmiento (COL) Colombia (national team)
1999 Guatemala Escobar, FernandoFernando Escobar (GUA) Bancomet
2000 Guatemala Méndez, FermínFermín Méndez (GUA) Bancomet
2001 Colombia Ladino, GregorioGregorio Ladino (COL) Canel's Turbo-México
2002 Colombia González, Víctor HugoVíctor Hugo González (COL) Hino-Radio Punto-E.U.A.
2003 Colombia Salazar, CésarCésar Salazar (COL) Lotería del Táchira
2004 Costa Rica Vargas, PauloPaulo Vargas (CRC) Pizza Hut-Costa Rica
2005 No race
2006 Costa Rica Rojas, Juan CarlosJuan Carlos Rojas (CRC) Dos Pinos Costa Rica
2007 Mexico López Gonzalez, CarlosCarlos López Gonzalez (MEX) Canel's Turbo-Mayordomo
2008 Venezuela Medina, ManuelManuel Medina (VEN) Café Quetzal
2009 Costa Rica Rojas, Juan CarlosJuan Carlos Rojas (CRC) Café Quetzal
2010 Colombia Báez, GiovannyGiovanny Báez (COL) EPM-UNE
2011 No race
2012 Colombia Rincón, RamiroRamiro Rincón (COL) EPM-UNE
2013 Colombia Sánchez, ÓscarÓscar Sánchez (COL) GW Shimano
2014 Colombia Cano, AlexAlex Cano (COL) Orgullo Antioqueño

References

  1. "Vuelta a Guatemala". memoire-du-cyclisme.net. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  2. "UCI Road Calendar". UCI. Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2007-11-11.
  3. "Nine positives in Vuelta a Guatemala". Cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
  4. "Vuelta a Guatemala cancelled". cyclingnews.com. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
  5. "La vuelta a Guatemala se suspende". Prensa Libre. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-10-22.
  6. (Spanish) "Gobierno suspende la edición número 52 de la Vuelta ciclística a Guatemala" "Se confirma la cancelación de la 52 Vuelta a Guatemala"
  7. http://ciclismoguatemala.com/site/?p=4256

External links