Vuelta a Murcia

{{Infobox cycling race

| name = Vuelta a Murcia

| image =

| date = Mid-February

| region = Region of Murcia, Spain

| english = Tour of Murcia

| localnames = Vuelta Ciclistica a la Region di Murcia

| nickname =

| discipline = Road race

| competition = UCI Europe Tour

| type = {{unbulleted list|Stage race (until 2012, 2019–2020)|One-day race (2013–2018, 2021–24)}}

| organiser =

| director =

| first = {{Start date|1981}}

| number = 45 (as of 2025)

| last =

| firstwinner = {{flagathlete|Pedro Delgado|ESP}}

| mostwins = {{nowrap|{{flagathlete|Alejandro Valverde|ESP}} (5 wins)}}

| mostrecent = {{flagathlete|Fabio Christen|SUI}}

}}

The Vuelta Ciclista a Murcia ({{langx|en|Tour of Murcia}}) is a road bicycle race held in and around Murcia, Spain. The first four editions were reserved to amateurs. Originally the race was held in early March and consisted of five stages. However, due to Spain's financial turmoil, the race was scaled back to three stages in 2011 and two stages in 2012.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/economic-crisis-hits-tour-of-murcia|title=Economic crisis hits Tour of Murcia|date=6 January 2011|access-date=27 February 2012|publisher=Future Publishing Limited|work=Cyclingnews}} From 2013 to 2018 the Vuelta a Murcia was organised as a single-day race and shifted to mid-February on the international calendar.{{cite web|last1=Axelgaard|first1=Emil|title=Vuelta a Murcia preview|url=http://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/2016_vuelta_a_murcia_preview/|website=Cycling Quotes|access-date=14 February 2016}} In 2019 the race was expanded to two stages.[https://www.bikeraceinfo.com/stageraces/Murcia/vuelta-a-murcia.html Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia (2.1)] on BikeRaceInfo. It is part of the UCI Europe Tour as a 2.1 event. However, due to the postponement of the 2021 edition to May, the race was reverted to its one-day nature, with the expectation that the race will continue as a two-day event in future editions.{{cite web|url=https://www.vueltamurcia.es/en/press/news/41st-vuelta-ciclista-la-region-de-murcia-costa-calida-gran-premio-banco-sabadell-start|title=The 41st Vuelta Ciclista a la Región de Murcia "Costa Cálida"-Gran Premio Banco Sabadell, to start from Los Alcázares and finish on Alcantarilla.|publisher=Vuelta a Murcia|date=20 April 2021|access-date=26 May 2021}}

Controversies

All Italian teams were banned from taking part in the 2010 edition of the race by race organizers. This decision was made due to the banning of Spanish cyclist Alejandro Valverde by the Italian Olympic Committee due to his links with the Operación Puerto blood doping ring.{{cite news|url=http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-of-murcia-bars-italian-teams|title=Tour of Murcia bars Italian teams|date=5 February 2010|access-date=27 February 2012|publisher=Future Publishing Limited|work=Cyclingnews}}

In 2011 Alberto Contador won both the overall and points classification after winning Stage 2 and the Stage 3 individual time trial. However, in February 2012 he was suspended and all his results after July 2010 were voided, awarding Jérôme Coppel of Saur Sojasun the overall victory.{{cite news|last=Stokes|first=Shane|title=Confirmed: Contador handed two year doping ban, loses 2010 Tour title|url=http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/10895/Confirmed-Contador-handed-two-year-doping-ban-loses-2010-Tour-title.aspx|access-date=27 February 2012|newspaper=VeloNation|date=6 February 2012}}

Past winners – men's race

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1981|name={{sortname|Pedro|Delgado}}|nat=ESP|natvar=1977|team=}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1982|name={{sortname|Salvador|Sanchis}}|nat=ESP|team=}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1983|name={{sortname|Francisco Javier|Cedena}}|nat=ESP|team=}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1984|name={{sortname|Ricardo|Martinez|Ricardo Martinez (cyclist)}}|nat=ESP|team=}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1985|name={{sortname|José|Recio}}|nat=ESP|team=Kelme}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1986|name={{sortname|Miguel|Induráin}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|GCE|1986}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1987|name={{sortname|Pello|Ruiz Cabestany}}|nat=ESP|team=Caja Rural–Seat}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1988|name={{sortname|Carlos|Hernández|Carlos Hernández Bailo}}|nat=ESP|team=Teka}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1989|name={{sortname|Marino|Alonso}}|nat=ESP|team=Teka}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1990|name={{sortname|Tom|Cordes}}|nat=NED|team={{UCI team code|RAB|1990}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1991|name={{sortname|José Luis|Villanueva|José Luis Villanueva (cyclist)}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|ONC|1991}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1992|name={{sortname|Álvaro|Mejía|Álvaro Mejía (cyclist)}}|nat=COL|team=Postobón}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1993|name={{sortname|Carlos|Galarreta}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|REG|1993}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1994|name={{sortname|Melcior|Mauri}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|GCE|1994}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1995|name={{sortname|Adriano|Baffi}}|nat=ITA|team=Mapei–GB}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1996|name={{sortname|Melcior|Mauri}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|ONC|1996}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1997|name={{sortname|Juan Carlos|Domínguez}}|nat=ESP|team=Kelme–Costa Blanca}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1998|name={{sortname|Alberto|Elli}}|nat=ITA|team={{UCI team code|ALM|1998}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=1999|name={{sortname|Marco|Pantani}}|nat=ITA|team={{UCI team code|UNO|1999}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2000|name={{sortname|David|Cañada}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|ONC|2000}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2001|name={{sortname|Aitor|González}}|nat=ESP|team=Kelme–Costa Blanca}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2002|name={{sortname|Víctor Hugo|Peña}}|nat=COL|team={{UCI team code|DSC|2002}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2003|name={{sortname|Javier|Pascual Llorente}}|nat=ESP|team=Kelme–Costa Blanca}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2004|name={{sortname|Alejandro|Valverde}}|nat=ESP|team=Comunidad Valenciana-Kelme}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2005|name={{sortname|Koldo|Gil}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|ONC|2005}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2006|name={{sortname|José Iván|Gutiérrez}}{{Cite web|url=http://masdeporte.as.com/masdeporte/2006/07/02/polideportivo/1151877902_850215.html|title = Santos se queda sin victoria por un positivo|date = 2 July 2006}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|CEI|2006}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2007|name={{sortname|Alejandro|Valverde}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|GCE|2007}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2008|name={{sortname|Alejandro|Valverde}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|GCE|2008}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2009|name={{sortname|Denis|Menchov}}|nat=RUS|team={{UCI team code|RAB|2009}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2010|name={{sortname|František|Raboň}}|nat=CZE|team={{UCI team code|THR|2010}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2011|name={{sortname|Jérôme|Coppel}}|nat=FRA|team={{UCI team code|SAU|2011}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2012|name={{sortname|Nairo|Quintana}}|nat=COL|team={{UCI team code|MOV|2012}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2013|name={{sortname|Daniel|Navarro}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|COF|2013}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2014|name={{sortname|Alejandro|Valverde}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|GCE|2014}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2015|name={{sortname|Rein|Taaramäe}}|nat=EST|team={{UCI team code|AST|2015}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2016|name={{sortname|Philippe|Gilbert}}|nat=BEL|team={{UCI team code|BMC|2016}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2017|name={{sortname|Alejandro|Valverde}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|MOV|2017}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2018|name={{sortname|Luis León|Sánchez}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|AST|2018}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2019|name={{sortname|Luis León|Sánchez}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|AST|2019}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2020{{cite web |title=Standings Vuelta a Murcia 2020 - Cycling |url=https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/vuelta-a-murcia/2020/standing.shtml |website=Eurosport |access-date=12 February 2022 }}|name={{sortname|Xandro|Meurisse}}|nat=BEL|team={{UCI team code|WGG|2020}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2021{{cite web |title=Road race - Men live - 23 May 2021 |url=https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/vuelta-a-murcia/2021/live-road-race-men_mtc1260924/live.shtml |website=Eurosport |access-date=12 February 2022 |date=23 May 2021}}|name={{sortname|Antonio Jesús|Soto}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|FOR|2021}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2022{{cite web |title=Alessandro Covi wins Vuelta a Murcia |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-ciclista-a-la-region-de-murcia-costa-calida-2022/elite-men/results/ |website=cyclingnews.com |access-date=12 February 2022 |date=12 February 2022}}|name={{sortname|Alessandro|Covi}}|nat=ITA|team={{UCI team code|UAD men|2022}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2023{{cite web |title=Ben Turner surges late to win Vuelta Murcia |url=https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-ciclista-a-la-region-de-murcia-costa-calida-2023/elite-men/results/ |website=cyclingnews.com| date=11 February 2022}}|name=Ben Turner|nat=GBR|team={{UCI team code|IGD|2023}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2024|name=Ben O'Connor|nat=AUS|team={{UCI team code|DAT|2024}}}}

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2025|name=Fabio Christen|nat=SUI|team={{UCI team code|Q36|2025}}}}

Past winners – women's race

{{Cycling past winner rider|year=2018|name={{sortname|Gloria|Rodriguez}}|nat=ESP|team={{UCI team code|MOV2|2018}}}}

References

External links

{{official website|http://www.vueltamurcia.es/}} {{in lang|es}}

Murcia

Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1981

Category:1981 establishments in Spain

Category:Sport in the Region of Murcia

Category:UCI Europe Tour races