UPDATED July 20, 2026 BY Miles MacDonald IN South American Epic no comments Vuelta A ColombiaTo a young person into adventure movies, Romancing the Stone was a big hit in the mid 1980s with Michael Douglas, Kathleen Turner and the country of Colombia in starring roles. For a 10-year-old, with too much faith in Hollywood film productions, it was a first impression of Colombia, as a kind of lush jungle wilderness, with a mix of rich criminal underworld characters, with fancy 44 trucks, and rural peasants with mules and horses.As one gets older, they may discover that Hollywood is a cultural propaganda machine that has never let accuracy or truth get in the way of making money. Of the many inaccuracies in such a movie, one was not seeing any Colombians on bicycles. With the rugged and rural mountain terrain, and challenging roads and paths in remote areas, the bicycle has been a key component of rural transportation since the mid 20th century, with it only slowly being replaced by motorcycles and cars the last decades.This necessity of cycling for transportation and the large number of bicycle riders in the country helped lead to the Vuelta a Colombia bicycle race, whose origins date back to 1951. The race turned Colombias strongest cyclists into household names and inspired other Colombians to emulate their success. The race, a multi week stage race, was legendary for its endless climbing, the altitudes reached, and the overall adversity faced. Colombian fans would follow along each day with the race being broadcast across the country by radio. These early heroes of Colombian cycling were, like the early days of the Tour de France, people who persevered through challenging living circumstances, with few economic resources, to rise to an elite level, such as Efrain El Zippo Forero, the first winner of the Vuelta a Colombia.South American Epic riders cycling with the localsLater generations of Colombian cyclists succeeded on the world stage, including the Caf de Colombia cycling team, with its star Luis Lucho Herrera in the 1980s. They became the first Colombian team in the Tour de France and their team branding helped spread the word on the amazing coffee culture of Colombia. Boyaca, Colombia native Nairo Quintana, won the Giro dItalia in 2014, after getting his start as a child cycling 16km through the mountains to school and to sell vegetables for his familys income. Later Egan Bernal would become the first Colombian to win the Tour de France in 2019.All this goes to say that the TDA cyclists here on the South American Epic, in the first weeks of the tour as weve crossed from Cartagena to Bogota, have not been alone on the roads, with many local cyclists of all stripes cycling along our route, from professional cyclists to families.SAE riders and their friends from SiCLas CollectiveIn Medellin, our TDA cyclists met the SICLAS Collective, a group of Medellin cyclists who promote active transportation, at the edge of the city. As a convoy our cyclists and the SICLAS Collective cyclists rode together towards our rest day hotel, including using roads that had been closed by the Medellin government as part of the famous Ciclovia, a family friendly event on Sundays where many roads are shut to vehicles and thousands, or in Bogota which also has the Ciclovia, even millions of bicycle riders and pedestrians fill the roads. On the way out of the city the TDA cyclists were also guided by convoy from Medellin, and enjoyed the safety and support of the SICLAS Collective, who would cheer for other cyclists on the road, while singing songs, both about biking, as well as on their socialist values.As the first section of the South American Epic concludes in Bogota, the riders deserve to be incredibly proud of their efforts. There is no casual pedalling in Colombia, as they have cycled through intense Caribbean heat, up 50km plus climbs, gone above 4100m elevation, and cycled 3000m+ climbing days. All can know that they have now proudly earned their place in Colombian cycling culture.RELATEDTOURSouth American Epic This challenging expedition offers you the best opportunity to explore the vastness and diversity of South America by bike. In keeping with the TDA... Related Posts:Leave a Comment for "Vuelta A Colombia" Cancel reply