Tour of Colombia suspended after five stages due to a severe earthquake

The Tour of Colombia took place this week. The organisers had planned nine stages through the South American country, but the race has already been called off after five. The reason is the severe earthquake that struck the country. As a result, Diego Andrés Camargo was declared the winner after five days of racing.

The first four days of the Tour of Colombia were the Wilmar Paredes show. The Colombian rider from Team Medellín-EPM was the best four times in the hilly opening stages, but the fifth stage was insane. The 165-kilometer stage featured 4,600 meters of elevation gain, including a 78(!) kilometer climb at a 4.6 percent gradient, with a finish at an altitude of 4,100 meters. The victory—and the new overall lead—went to Diego Andrés Camargo.

But Colombia was struck on Thursday by a massive earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale. The situation was dire in the western part of the country: as of this writing (Friday morning, ed.), the death toll has risen to 265. The government reports hundreds of people missing, but a list compiled by citizens lists more than 4,000 people. There are also still thousands of injured.

The cycling race was scheduled to pass right through the hardest-hit area. For that reason, it was decided to cancel the sixth stage. “The Colombian Cycling Federation and the organizers of the 2026 Tour of Colombia announce that, due to the situation in the country following the recent earthquake in Colombia and in order not to disrupt road access between the departments of Caldas and Antioquia, it has been decided to cancel the sixth stage of the race.”

At the time that announcement was made, the intention was to resume the Tour of Colombia at a later date. That decision had already been met with skepticism, and now the Federación Ciclismo Colombiana (FCC) has decided to cancel the remaining stages entirely. The Tour of Colombia has therefore been suspended after the fifth stage. Camargo has consequently been declared the overall winner.

"The Colombian Cycling Federation reports that, taking into account the circumstances that arose during the race and the situation the country is facing as a result of the recent earthquake in Colombia, it has been decided to end the 2026 Tour of Colombia, in its 76th edition," according to a statement on Instagram.

"This decision was made after consultation with the various parties involved in the race, with priority given to the safety of the athletes, teams, event staff, authorities, media, and all members of the race convoy, as well as respect for the needs of the communities and regions affected by the earthquake."

"The Colombian Cycling Federation would like to express its special thanks to all Colombians who supported the race, as well as to the national, departmental, and municipal authorities, the security and logistics services, the National Police, sponsors, the media, teams, cyclists, technical staff, medical staff, judges, race officials, volunteers, and everyone who made this edition possible.”

This is another setback for the Tour of Colombia. Last year, organisers were unable to secure enough financial support, leading to the cancellation of the 2025 edition. This year, the race returned to the calendar, but things went wrong along the way.