The Colombian Cycling Federation halted the 2026 Vuelta a Colombia on Thursday 13 August, five stages into the nine-stage pro-am race, after a powerful earthquake devastated parts of the country earlier in the week.
The magnitude-7.4 quake struck on Monday 10 August, with its epicentre near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department. Colombian authorities reported at least 273 deaths, 377 people missing and thousands injured, with tens of thousands of homes damaged or destroyed.
Race organisers had planned to send the peloton through Manizales for stage six, but the city was among the areas hardest hit by the earthquake, prompting the cancellation of the stage.
Federation president Rubén Galeano said the priority was to avoid disrupting humanitarian relief efforts, rather than closing roads for the race.
With the event unable to continue safely, the federation confirmed that the 76th edition’s general classification would stand after stage five. Diego Camargo of Team Medellín-EPM was declared champion with an accumulated time of 21:28:08, having taken the leader’s jersey from teammate and former EPO doper Wilmar Paredes on the brutal stage-five climb to Alto del Sifón.
Javier Ernesto Jamaica (NU Colombia) finished 38 seconds behind in second, while Edgar Andrés Pinzón (Sistecrédito) completed the podium 1 minute 4 seconds back.
A closing ceremony was held at the Mirador de Jericó in Antioquia. Colombian football also paused its schedule this week as the nation focused on earthquake relief.
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