Bicycling as a Response to La Violencia: The First Vuelta a Colombia, January 5-17, 1951

The First Vuelta a Colombia, a bicycle race modeled after the Tour de France, took place in January 1951 notwithstanding the horrific violence then engulfing the country.  Thirty-one cyclists pedaled over paths of sand, mud and stone through Cundinamarca, Tolima, Viejo Caldas and Valle del Cauca to cover a course of 1,254 kilometers in fifteen days.  By describing the origins and impact of this event, this paper suggests that the Vuelta offers a new perspective on the regime of Laureano Gómez, the Violencia and  Colombian passion for a sport that by the 21st century produced for the nation world champion cyclists.