Tour Colombia won't be run in 2025 due to economic difficulties
February race off the calendar after 66% budget cut from Colombian Ministry of Sport
The Tour Colombia will not take place in 2025, with organisers citing "economic difficulties" amid a lack of funding.
The race was initially run for three editions between 2018 and 2020 before being cancelled in 2021 and 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was cancelled again in 2023 due to a lack of funding before it returned to the calendar in February 2024 for a six-day event won by Rodrigo Contreras, six seconds ahead of Richard Carapaz.
The race is now set to drop off the calendar again next season after the Colombian Ministry of Sport has cut funding, according to a report from El Tiempo.
The newspaper reports that funding for the race from the ministry has been reduced by 66%, from €300,000 to €100,000.
"This decision responds to the economic difficulties that the country faces, the strategic priorities for sports development in the regions and the need to strengthen the foundations of Colombian cycling," the Colombian Cycling Federation announced in a statement on Wednesday.
"We understand the importance of the Tour Colombia as an event of international scope and a source of national pride. Therefore, from now on we will work in a flexible manner with the new Executive Committee to manage and guarantee the necessary resources that allow its return in 2026 with the quality and greatness that characterizes this race."
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The federation stated that, with the race unable to be run in 2025, resources will instead be focussed on "the promotion of grassroots cycling and the strengthening of the national and international competition calendar with the aim of continuing to promote the development of new talents and encourage the growth of the sport in all regions of the country."
With the loss of the Tour Colombia for 2025 and the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina run as a local event rather than a UCI race in 2024, WorldTour racers will not be travelling to South America as part of their early season preparation next season.
Previous editions saw QuickStep, Sky, EF, Movistar, UAE, and riders including Julian Alaphilippe, Egan Bernal, Chris Froome, Nairo Quintana, and Mark Cavendish travel to Colombia to take part.
Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Before joining the team, she had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur. She writes and edits at Cyclingnews as well as running newsletter, social media, and how to watch campaigns.