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) and is part of the
UCI America Tour
The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to expand cycling around the world. The five circuits (representing the continents of Africa, th ...
, which is one of six
UCI Continental Circuits
The UCI Continental Circuits are a series of road bicycle racing competitions which were introduced in 2005 by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to expand cycling around the world. The five circuits (representing the continents of Africa, the ...
sponsored by the
Union Cycliste Internationale
The ''Union Cycliste Internationale'' (UCI; ; en, International Cycling Union) is the world governing body for sports cycling and oversees international competitive cycling events. The UCI is based in Aigle, Switzerland.
The UCI issues raci ...
, the sport's international governing body. 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
The general classification (or the GC) in road bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for riders in multi-stage races. Each stage will have a stage winner, but the overall winner in the GC is the rider who has the fastest cumulat ...
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
The general classification (or the GC) in road bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for riders in multi-stage races. Each stage will have a stage winner, but the overall winner in the GC is the rider who has the fastest cumulat ...
returned positive A samples.
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.
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 rescheduling of the event was not feasible due to the busy schedules of different participants. The event was then scheduled for May 13–20, 2012.
Past winners
References
{{Reflist
External links
Website of Federación de Ciclismo de Guatemala – organisers of Vuelta a Guatemala
Cycle races in Guatemala
UCI America Tour races
Recurring sporting events established in 1957
1957 establishments in Guatemala