The first stage of the historic cycling competition started from Barranquilla and ended in the city of Cartagena
Luis Carlos Chía, the first leader of the 2022 Vuelta a Colombia after the sprint finish
Luis Carlos Chía, cyclist of the Supergiros – Mayor’s Office of Manizales team b>, won the first stage of the Vuelta a Colombia 2022 in the sprint. This part of the race contemplated a flat route of 123 kilometers between Barranquilla and Cartagena where the 176 runners remained calm until missing 20 kilometersfor the finish line when the first crash occurred as a result of anxiety to form the launch groups for the ‘sprinters‘.
Around 9 in the morning, the first stage of the 72nd edition of the most important cycling race in Colombia began. Names such as José Tito Hernández, champion in 2021 of the race, Oscar Sevilla, champion in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and Darwin Atapuma, cyclist with a career spanning more than 13 years. After the start in the Malecón del Río Magdalena in Barranquilla, 12 cyclists tried to form the escape, which did not prosper due to the peloton.
In the first sprint located at 104 kilometers from the finish line, the cyclists who scored points after the dispute were Carlos Samudio in first place, Fabián Cifuentes in second and Miguel Álvarezin third place. With no room for breakaways came the second special sprint where Samudio was first again and the points between second and third place were shared by Néstor Rueda and José Muniz.
With 50 kilometers to go to the finish, a breakaway was consolidated with Wilson Haro, Ignacio Prado and Camilo Castro. This managed to have an advantage of more than a minute, however at 23 km,the peloton increased the pace and little by little neutralized the escapees. Three kilometers later the tension increased and the first fall occurred where three cyclists hit the ground and some were forced to leave the road towards the green zone to avoid being in the middle of the Montonera.
Already on the arrival straight to Cartagena, Luis Carlos Chía took advantage of an entanglement behind him that upset the trains of Packing to bring out your maximum power and cross the finish line in first place. Behind him crossed Juan Umba from Boyacá Avanza and Jordan Parra from Petrolike.
This will be the second stage of the Vuelta a Colombia 2022 that will take place this Saturday, June 4:
Stage 2: Saturday, June 4 – 176.7 kms
Route: Cartagena-Turbaco-Arjona-San Juan Nepomuceno-San Jacinto-Carmen-Ovejas-Corozal -Sincelejo
Departure time: 8:00 am.
Arrival time: 1:00 pm.
Departure site: Av. El Bosque INEM – Cartagena
Arrival site: Kra 25 Calle 16 – Sincelejo