The municipality of Macanal, located to the south of the department of Boyacá will be in charge of opening the 74th edition of the Vuelta a Colombia, event belonging to the UCI 2.2 calendar, which will cover from June 14 to 23 more than 1,295 kilometers between the departments of Boyacá, Cundinamarca, Tolima, Caldas, Risaralda, Valle and Antioquia.
On this occasion, the most traditional race in our country, which has been held without interruption since 1951, will begin with a 7.4 kilometer prologue in Boyaca on Friday, June 14.
There will be nine stages that the participating riders will have to face, among which stands out the fourth fraction, which will have a route of 143.4 kilometers, with departure in Mariquita and arrival at Alto de Letras, in a queen stage that will dispute six mountain prizes and that for the first time will have in an official competition two passes that exceed 4,000 meters of altitude (Alto de Ventanas and Alto El Sifón).
The fifth stage between Buga and Apía, and the eighth one between Supía and Alto de Minas, which will have two demanding mountain prizes each, also stand out.
The Vuelta a Colombia 2024 will culminate with an individual time trial of 17.3 kilometers, between the EPM Intelligent Building and El Alto de Las Palmas, on a route that took place in 2016, with victory for Mauricio Ortega (Supergiros-Redetrans), who was later crowned champion of the race.
A total of 176 cyclists will take the start of this competition, in which five foreign teams will be present, and in which the successor of Miguel Ángel López, from Boyacá, who was crowned champion of the race in 2023, will be sought.
The official schedule of the 74th edition of the Vuelta a Colombia will open on Thursday, June 13, with the revision of licenses, confirmation of cyclists, the technical congress, the meeting of the organization with representatives of the police, commissaries, photographers, cameramen and drivers and the presentation of teams, activities that will take place in the municipality of Guateque, in Boyacá.
Route of the 74th edition of the Tour of Colombia
PROLOGUE – JUNE 14:
Route: Departure at El Chivoreño Restaurant – Arrival at the Main Park of Macanal – 7.4 kilometers.
STAGE 1 – JUNE 15
Route: Guateque – Macheta – Sisga – Chocontá – Villapinzón – Ventaquemada – Tunja by-pass to Cómbita junction – Return Tunja by-pass – Tunja Terminal – Oreja via Chivatá – 151.4 kilometers
STAGE 2 – JUNE 16
Route: Paipa – Tunja – Ventaquemada – Villapinzón – Chocontá – Sesquilé Junction – Gachancipá – Tocancipá – 139.3 kilometers
STAGE 3 – JUNE 17
Route: Cota – Siberia – El Rosal – Alto del Vino – La Vega – Villeta – Guaduas – Honda – Mariquita – 168.6 kilometers
STAGE 4 – JUNE 18
Route: Mariquita – Cruce de Falan – Guayabal Armero – Líbano – Murillo – Alto de Letras – 143.4 kilometers
STAGE 5 – JUNE 19
Route: Manizales (through Las Violetas) – Chinchiná – Santa Rosa de Cabal By-pass – Dosquebradas – Pollo By-pass – Cerrito – Cartago – Zaragoza – Obando – Zarzal – La Paila – Bugalagrande – Tuluá By-pass – San Pedro – San Carlos – Buga – 195.6 kilometers.
STAGE 6 – JUNE 20
Route: Buga – San Carlos – San Pedro – Tuluá By-pass – Bugalagrande – La Paila – Zarzal – Obando – Zaragoza – Cartago – Cerrito – La Virginia – Cruce Balboa – Santuario – Apía – 173.3 kilometers
STAGE 7 – JUNE 21
Route: Pereira – Cartago – Zaragoza – Zaragoza – Las Cruces – Return – Cartago – Cerrito – La Virginia – Viterbo – Belén de Umbría Crossing – Anserma – Quinchía Crossing – Guática – Riosucio – 155.3 kilometers
STAGE 8 – JUNE 22
Route: Supía – La Felisa Crossroads – Marmato Crossroads – La Pintada – Iglesias Bridge – Return PR 21 — La Pintada – Santa Barbara – Versalles – Alto de Minas – 144.3 kilometers
STAGE 9 – JUNE 23
Route: Individual Time Trial – Start at EPM Intelligent Building – Envigado – Finish at Alto de Las Palmas – 17.3 kilometers.
Source: Information from Fedeciclismo