With a route of 31,8 kilometers and a difference in elevation of -1.100 meters, the 179 cyclists from Venezuela and a delegation from Colombia started the XXIX edition of the International Tour of La Azulita Mountain Bike 2026, in the state of Mérida.
Among the early winners were Colombian Jhon Jairo Botero, who won the first stage with a time of 1:45:57 in the Master B category; Nelson Peña, from Mérida and representing the Mérida State Government team, finished second; and Isaías Morales, from the Venezuela Tribiki team, took third place with a time of 1:46:47. Meanwhile, in the women's open category, Andrea Contreras triumphed with a time of 2:18:03.
The first stage covered eight villages in the Andrés Bello municipality (La Azulita), where the cyclists put into practice MTB techniques: ascent, descent and overcoming obstacles in the mountainous terrain offered by the Azulita topography.
In the overall classification by categories, Nelson Peña leads the elite; Colombian Jesús Garzón dominates Master A; in Master B, Jhon Jairo Botero is relentless; in Master C, Jhonny Salcedo is in the lead and in Master D, Alberto Chacón imposes his experience.
