1997 Vuelta a Colombia

Race details
Dates	April 21 – May 4, 1997
Stages	13
Distance	1,960 km (1,218 mi)
Winning time	50h 14' 34"
Results
Winner  José Castelblanco (COL) (Kelme-Telecom)   Second  Jair Bernal (COL) (Todos por Boyacá)   Third  Héctor Palacio (COL) (Kelme-Telecom)   Points  Héctor Palacio (COL) (Kelme-Telecom)   Mountains  Juan Diego Ramírez (COL) (Kelme-Telecom)   Combination  Raúl Montaña (COL) (Caprecom-Zapatos)   Team Kelme-Telecom

The 47th edition of the Vuelta a Colombia was held from April 21 to May 4, 1997. There were a total of 119 competitors, including six Mexican riders.

Stages

1997-04-21: Bucaramanga — Bucaramanga (7.6 km)

Place	Prologue		General Classification
	Name	Time	Name	Time
1.	José Castelblanco (COL)	00:14.28	José Castelblanco (COL)	00:14.28
2.	Federico Muñoz (COL)	+0.14	Federico Muñoz (COL)	+0.14
3.	Elder Herrera (COL)	+0.23	Elder Herrera (COL)	+0.23

1997-04-22: Bucaramanga — Barichara (148.7 km)

Place	Stage 1		General Classification
	Name	Time	Name	Time
1.	Héctor Palacio (COL)	03:49.18	José Castelblanco (COL)	04:03.50
2.	Ángel Camargo (COL)	—	Federico Muñoz (COL)	+0.06
3.	Federico Muñoz (COL)	—	Elder Herrera (COL)	+0.23

1997-04-23: Oiba — Duitama (192.7 km)

Place	Stage 2		General Classification
	Name	Time	Name	Time
1.	Israel Ochoa (COL)	05:00.30	Santiago Botero (COL)	09:04.55
2.	Santiago Botero (COL)	+0.01	José Castelblanco (COL)	+0.13
3.	Elder Herrera (COL)	+0.38	Federico Muñoz (COL)	+0.19

1997-04-24: Tunja — Zipaquirá (138.3 km)

Place	Stage 3		General Classification
	Name	Time	Name	Time
1.	Hernán Buenahora (COL)	03:05.12	Hernán Buenahora (COL)	12:10.37
2.	Carlos Contreras (COL)	+1.24	Santiago Botero (COL)	+0.57
3.	Elkin Barrera (COL)	—	José Castelblanco (COL)	+1.10

1997-04-25: Funza — Ibagué (196.2 km)

Place	Stage 4		General Classification
	Name	Time	Name	Time
1.	Juan Diego Ramírez (COL)	04:53.19	Hernán Buenahora (COL)	17:04.01
2.	Libardo Niño (COL)	—	Santiago Botero (COL)	+0.57
3.	Julio César Aguirre (COL)	—	José Castelblanco (COL)	+1.10

1997-04-26: Ibagué — Sevilla (185.9 km)

Place	Stage 5		General Classification
	Name	Time	Name	Time
1.	Elkin Barrera (COL)	05:15.15	José Castelblanco (COL)	22:20.14
2.	Jair Bernal (COL)	—	Jair Bernal (COL)	+0.22
3.	José Castelblanco (COL)	+0.02	Juan Diego Ramírez (COL)	+2.24

1997-04-27: Cali Circuito Panamericano (105 km)

Place	Stage 6		General Classification
	Name	Time	Name	Time
1.	Julio Ernesto Bernal (COL)	02:18.30	José Castelblanco (COL)	24:39.03
2.	Humberto Hernández (COL)	—	Jair Bernal (COL)	+0.22
3.	Raúl Montaña (COL)	+0.09	Elkin Barrera (COL)	+1.25

1997-04-28: Palmira — Pereira (200.4 km)

Place	Stage 7		General Classification
	Name	Time	Name	Time
1.	Freddy Moncada (COL)	04:45.12	José Castelblanco (COL)	29:24.30
2.	Jair Bernal (COL)	—	Jair Bernal (COL)	+0.22
3.	Francisco Orozco (COL)	+0.02	Elkin Barrera (COL)	+1.25

1997-04-29: Santa Rosa de Cabal — Manizales (35.7 km)

Place	Stage 8 (Individual Time Trial)		General Classification
	Name	Time	Name	Time
1.	José Castelblanco (COL)	00:59.20	José Castelblanco (COL)	30:23.47
2.	Héctor Palacio (COL)	+0.28	Jair Bernal (COL)	+2.01
3.	Carlos Contreras (COL)	—	Héctor Palacio (COL)	+3.05

1997-04-30: Manizales — Itagüí (184 km)

Place	Stage 9		General Classification
	Name	Time	Name	Time
1.	Hernán Darío Muñoz (COL)	04:45.32	José Castelblanco (COL)	35:09.27
2.	Héctor Palacio (COL)	+0.08	Jair Bernal (COL)	+1.59
3.	Raúl Montaña (COL)	—	Héctor Palacio (COL)	+2.59

1997-05-01: Medellín — Alto Santa Helena (91.2 km)

Place	Stage 10		General Classification
	Name	Time	Name	Time
1.	Julio César Rangel (COL)	02:32.17	José Castelblanco (COL)	37:42.49
2.	Juan Diego Ramírez (COL)	+0.53	Jair Bernal (COL)	+1.59
3.	Héctor Palacio (COL)	+1.03	Héctor Palacio (COL)	+2.52

1997-05-02: Rionegro — Puerto Salgar (197 km)

Place	Stage 11		General Classification
	Name	Time	Name	Time
1.	José Daniel Bernal (COL)	05:02.04	José Castelblanco (COL)	???????
2.	Misael Orozco (COL)	—	Jair Bernal (COL)	+1.59
3.	Celio Roncancio (COL)	—	Héctor Palacio (COL)	+2.52

1997-05-03: La Dorada — Fontibón (179.5 km)

Place	Stage 12		General Classification
	Name	Time	Name	Time
1.	Gregorio Ladino (COL)	05:23.53	José Castelblanco (COL)	48:11.18
2.	Raúl Montaña (COL)	+0.04	Jair Bernal (COL)	+1.59
3.	Libardo Niño (COL)	—	Héctor Palacio (COL)	+2.52

1997-05-04: Circuito Bogotá (100 km)

Place	Stage 13		General Classification
	Name	Time	Name	Time
1.	Leonardo Cardona (COL)	03:03.15	José Castelblanco (COL)	50:14:34
2.	Víctor Hugo Peña (COL)	+0.01	Jair Bernal (COL)	+ 1.59
3.	Federico Muñoz (COL)	+0.01	Héctor Palacio (COL)	+ 2.52

Jersey progression

Final classification

RANK	NAME	TEAM	TIME
1.	José Castelblanco (COL)	Kelme-Telecom	50:14:34
2.	Jair Bernal (COL)	Todos por Boyacá	+ 1.59
3.	Héctor Palacio (COL)	Kelme-Telecom	+ 2.52
4.	Juan Diego Ramírez (COL)	Kelme-Telecom	+ 3.03
5.	Carlos Alberto Contreras (COL)	Kelme-Telecom	+ 3.17
6.	Raúl Montaña (COL)	Caprecom-Zapatos	+ 5.16
7.	Álvaro Sierra (COL)	Todos por Boyacá	+ 5.23
8.	Julio César Aguirre (COL)	Kelme-Telecom	+ 5.35
9.	Libardo Niño (COL)	Lotería de Medellín-EPM	+ 8.11
10.	Álvaro Lozano (COL)	San Andresitos de la 38	+ 8.21

Teams

See also

• 1997 Clásico RCN

References

• cyclingnews
• pedalesybielas via webcitation.org, Archived 2009-10-22