Cuba Invited to the Vuelta Ciclista a Venezuela

A six-member team will represent Cuba at the Vuelta Ciclista a Venezuela, scheduled for September 7 to 14, with the opening stage in San Cristóbal and the closing stage in Caracas.

The squad includes national under-23 riders José Domínguez and Amed Marcos, both from Havana, and Randol Izquierdo of Ciego de Ávila, all of whom competed at the recent Junior Pan American Games in Asunción 2025.

They will be joined by elite category riders Ricardo Delgado of Sancti Spíritus, and Matanzas cyclists Yariel De León and Joselín Piedra. The team will be led by coach Yans Carlos Arias.

Also traveling with the delegation are mechanic Yoanis Pérez, Eduardo Alonso, vice president of the Cuban Cycling Federation (FCC), and Jorge Luis Báez, who will serve as team delegate.

Pablo Arturo Campins, president of the FCC and national commissioner, told Jit that the Vuelta will be part of Cuba’s preparation for upcoming qualifying events ahead of the Central American and Caribbean Games in Santo Domingo in 2026.

The first of these will be the Caribbean Road Championship, scheduled for October 11 and 12 in Belize, where each country will compete for a place in the individual time trial and road race.

Organizers announced on Instagram that this edition of the Vuelta will provide a valuable opportunity for Cuban cyclists to gain international competition mileage, with stages passing through the states of Mérida, Trujillo, Portuguesa, Lara, Yaracuy, Aragua and Carabobo, before the finish in the Venezuelan capital.

The Vuelta, first held in 1963 and uninterrupted except for the 1977 edition, is expected to feature major teams including Team Medellín and GW Shimano of Colombia, along with Venezuela’s top riders.

Organizers confirmed the prestigious stage race will be broadcast on YouTube.