Tour Colombia 2019: The Route

With the inaugural edition held last year, the 2019 Tour Colombia will take place from Monday 12 February to Sunday the 17th. Following a TTT on the first day, the race includes three chances for fast men, one lumpy race, and the Queen Stage to the Alto de las Palmas near Medellín on the last day of action. (Slideshow route/profile)

The 2019 Tour Colombia is entirely played out in the Antioquia region of Colombia.

The 1st stage is a team time trial in Medellín. The 14 kilometres course is flat, although the race takes place at altitude (nearly 1,500 metres above sea level).

The following stages are circuit races that should fancy fast men. Stage 2 takes place in La Ceja (five laps), stage 3 in Llanogrande (four laps), and stage 4 in Medellín (six laps).

Stage 5 is yet another circuit race, but this route is more hilly. Four laps in and around La Unión are probably going to be pre-decisive.

The 2019 Tour Colombia serves its Queen Stage on the last day of action. The race concludes with a climb up the Alto de las Palmas. This 17.5 kilometres ascent tops out at 2,435 metres.

Egan Bernal is title defender in a star-studded field with Alejandro Valverde, Nairo Quintana, Chris Froome, Julian Alaphilippe, Miguel Ángel López, Esteban Chaves, Rigobert Uran and, possibly, Vincenzo Nibali.