Vuelta Ciclista de Chile
The Vuelta Ciclista de Chile is the main professional men's road cycling stage race in Chile, first held in 1976.
The race is contested over multiple stages across different regions of Chile. It has been considered the country’s premier cycling event, sometimes nicknamed the Multicolored Serpent for the colorful jerseys in the peloton.
History
The inaugural edition was run between 23 October and 1 November 1976, under the name Vuelta Ciclística El Mercurio. It replaced the earlier Vuelta al Centro de la República. El Mercurio newspaper organized the 10-stage route from Puerto Montt to Santiago, with major crowds in Concepción and Santiago. Italian rider Giovanni Fedrigo became the first winner, while the San Bernardo club won the team classification.From 1977, Colombian teams began to dominate the race, earning the nickname "Escarabajos". Antonio Londoño was champion in 1977, followed by several Colombian victories.
The race was not held in 1993, 1994, from 2007 to 2010, 2013 to 2016, 2018, and since 2020. In 2005, it was classified as a 2.2 race within the UCI America Tour. After a four-year pause, the event returned in January–February 2011. It was last held in 2017, when Colombian Nicolás Paredes took victory. Since then, the Vuelta has remained suspended, while other Chilean races such as the Vuelta Ciclista a Chiloé and the Gran Premio de la Patagonia gained prominence within the UCI America Tour.