The United States shocked the world on Saturday with an attack on Venezuela. Tensions between the two countries had already been escalating over the past months and weeks. President Donald Trump accuses his counterpart Nicolás Maduro of leading a drug cartel, which, according to the American president, is behind hundreds of thousands of drug-related deaths in the US.
During the attack, the US military targeted multiple locations, including a military base near the capital Caracas. Venezuelan President Maduro and his wife were also captured by the United States. Among others, the NOS in the Netherlands devoted extra news broadcasts to the dramatic attack by President Trump and his administration. A war between the two countries now seems inevitable.
This could also have consequences for cycling. Next Friday, Venezuela will host the first UCI road race of 2026, the Vuelta al Táchira (UCI 2.2). Although there are usually few European riders at the start, it is one of the bigger races in the America Tour. The opening stage is scheduled for next Friday, followed by nine more stages through the Táchira region. The area is located in western Venezuela and borders Colombia.
Major race in South America
The latter country has already announced it will send extra military troops to the border to handle a potential influx of refugees. Venezuela has a population of over 28.5 million, with just under two million living in the Táchira region. Whether the race can proceed from next weekend due to the escalation of the war on drugs is unclear. The provisional start list mainly features club teams, alongside a Bolivian Continental team and the more well-known Colombian team GW Erco Shimano.
Viatcheslav Ekimov is one of only four winners (1988) who are not from Venezuela or Colombia to be present. The record holder for overall wins at the Vuelta al Táchira is the well-known climber José Rujano, who once stood on the podium of the Giro d'Italia (2005). He raced for Quick-Step Innergetic (2006) and Vacansoleil-DCM (2013). Now 43 years old, Rujano still competed in last year's Vuelta al Táchira, finishing 28th. Kenny Nijssen finished fourteenth last year, representing the Dutch team Universe.
| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2025 |  Eduin Becerra |
| 2024 |  Jonathan Klever Caicedo Cepeda |
| 2023 | Jose Alarcon |
| 2022 | Roniel Campos |
| 2021 | Roniel Campos |
| 2020 | Roniel Campos |
| 2019 | Yimmi José Briceno |
| 2018 | Pedro Gutierrez |
| 2017 | Yonathan Salinas |
| Date | Stage | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 09-01 | 1 | San Cristóbal | Socopo |
| 10-01 | 2 | Socopo | San Cristóbal |
| 11-01 | 3 | Circuito Santos Rafael Bermudez | Circuito Santos Rafael Bermudez |
| 12-01 | 4 | La Fría | Mérida |
| 13-01 | 5 | Mérida | Mérida |
| 14-01 | 6 | El Vigía | La Grita |
| 15-01 | 7 | San Cristóbal | Tariba |
| 16-01 | 8 | Abejales | Cerro El Cristo |
| 17-01 | 9 | Rubio | Rubio |
| 18-01 | 10 | Ureña | San Cristóbal |
