2003 Vuelta a Colombia
# 2003 Vuelta a Colombia

The 53rd edition of the Vuelta a Colombia was held from June 16 to June 30, 2003. The cycling race took place over fifteen stages (including a prologue) and 2,200 kilometres.

## Stages

### 2003-06-16: El Rodadero — Santa Marta (6.6 km)

* Prologue was cancelled

### 2003-06-17: Santa Marta — Cartagena (225 km)

| Place | Stage 1 | Stage 1 | General Classification | General Classification |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Name | Time | Name | Time |
| 1. | John Parra (COL) | 5:30.15 | John Parra (COL) | 3:31.34 |
| 2. | Gil Cordovés (CUB) | +7.37 | Gil Cordovés (CUB) | +7.41 |
| 3. | Diocenes Valdés (VEN) | — | Diocenes Valdés (VEN) | +7.43 |

### 2003-06-18: Cartagena — Sincelejo (182 km)

| Place | Stage 2 | Stage 2 | General Classification | General Classification |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Name | Time | Name | Time |
| 1. | Santos Álvarez (COL) | 5:30.15 | John Parra (COL) | 10:20.32 |
| 2. | Diocenes Valdés (VEN) | +0.38 | Santos Álvarez (COL) | +6.54 |
| 3. | Marlon Pérez Arango (COL) | — | Diocenes Valdés (VEN) | +7.35 |

### 2003-06-19: Sincelejo — Caucasia (192 km)

| Place | Stage 3 | Stage 3 | General Classification | General Classification |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Name | Time | Name | Time |
| 1. | Gil Cordovés (CUB) | 4:17.19 | John Parra (COL) | 14:37.51 |
| 2. | Alejandro Cortés (COL) | — | Santos Álvarez (COL) | +6.54 |
| 3. | Diocenes Valdés (VEN) | — | Gil Cordovés (CUB) | +7.28 |

### 2003-06-20: Caucasia — Yarumal (165 km)

| Place | Stage 4 | Stage 4 | General Classification | General Classification |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Name | Time | Name | Time |
| 1. | Daniel Rincón (COL) | 4:48.51 | Daniel Rincón (COL) | 19:34.19 |
| 2. | Javier Zapata (COL) | +0.31 | Javier Zapata (COL) | +0.35 |
| 3. | Libardo Niño (COL) | — | Libardo Niño (COL) | +0.37 |

### 2003-06-21: Yarumal — El Escobero (154 km)

| Place | Stage 5 | Stage 5 | General Classification | General Classification |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Name | Time | Name | Time |
| 1. | Libardo Niño (COL) | 3:37.33 | Libardo Niño (COL) | 23:12.19 |
| 2. | Álvaro Sierra (COL) | +0.18 | Daniel Rincón (COL) | +0.04 |
| 3. | Daniel Rincón (COL) | +0.35 | Álvaro Sierra (COL) | +0.38 |

### 2003-06-22: Barbosa — Puerto Berrío (147 km)

| Place | Stage 6 | Stage 6 | General Classification | General Classification |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Name | Time | Name | Time |
| 1. | Hernán Bonilla (COL) | 3:23.49 | Libardo Niño (COL) | 26:37.05 |
| 2. | Jeobany Chacón (COL) | — | Daniel Rincón (COL) | +0.04 |
| 3. | Mauricio Ardila (COL) | +0.57 | Álvaro Sierra (COL) | +0.38 |

### 2003-06-23: Piedecuesta — Barichara (132 km)

| Place | Stage 7 | Stage 7 | General Classification | General Classification |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Name | Time | Name | Time |
| 1. | Félix Cárdenas (COL) | 3:33.26 | Libardo Niño (COL) | 30:11.29 |
| 2. | Javier Zapata (COL) | +0.54 | Daniel Rincón (COL) | +0.07 |
| 3. | Alejandro Cortés (COL) | +0.58 | Álvaro Sierra (COL) | +0.38 |

### 2003-06-24: Socorro — Duitama (224 km)

| Place | Stage 8 | Stage 8 | General Classification | General Classification |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Name | Time | Name | Time |
| 1. | Alejandro Cortés (COL) | 5:57.41 | Libardo Niño (COL) | 36:09.19 |
| 2. | Urbelino Mesa (COL) | — | Daniel Rincón (COL) | +0.07 |
| 3. | Víctor Becerra (COL) | — | Álvaro Sierra (COL) | +0.41 |

### 2003-06-25: Duitama — Sopó (168 km)

| Place | Stage 9 | Stage 9 | General Classification | General Classification |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Name | Time | Name | Time |
| 1. | Carlos Andrés Ibáñez (COL) | | Libardo Niño (COL) | 36:09.19 |
| 2. | Juan Antonio Barrero (COL) | | Daniel Rincón (COL) | +0.07 |
| 3. | Javier Zapata (COL) | | Álvaro Sierra (COL) | +0.41 |

### 2003-06-26: Soacha — Ibagué (197 km)

| Place | Stage 10 | Stage 10 | General Classification | General Classification |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Name | Time | Name | Time |
| 1. | Oscar Álvarez (COL) | 4:31.43 | Libardo Niño (COL) | 45:08.22 |
| 2. | Jorge Humberto Martínez (COL) | +4.10 | Daniel Rincón (COL) | +0.10 |
| 3. | Edilberto Suárez (COL) | — | Álvaro Sierra (COL) | +0.44 |

### 2003-06-27: Ibagué — Santa Rosa de Cabal (145 km)

| Place | Stage 11 | Stage 11 | General Classification | General Classification |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Name | Time | Name | Time |
| 1. | Félix Cárdenas (COL) | 3:58.30 | Libardo Niño (COL) | 49:07.07 |
| 2. | Libardo Niño (COL) | +0.22 | Daniel Rincón (COL) | +0.22 |
| 3. | Israel Ochoa (COL) | +0.24 | Álvaro Sierra (COL) | +0.50 |

### 2003-06-28: Cartago — La Unión (47.2 km)

| Place | Stage 12 | Stage 12 | General Classification | General Classification |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Name | Time | Name | Time |
| 1. | Heberth Gutiérrez (COL) | 0:56.26 | Libardo Niño (COL) | 50:04.29 |
| 2. | Félix Cárdenas (COL) | +0.09 | Daniel Rincón (COL) | +2.26 |
| 3. | Javier Zapata (COL) | +0.39 | Félix Cárdenas (COL) | +2.39 |

### 2003-06-29: Tuluá — Kilómetro 18 (163 km)

| Place | Stage 13 | Stage 13 | General Classification | General Classification |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Name | Time | Name | Time |
| 1. | Urbelino Mesa (COL) | 3:47.58 | Libardo Niño (COL) | 53:53.29 |
| 2. | Álvaro Sierra (COL) | +0.43 | Félix Cárdenas (COL) | +2.36 |
| 3. | Israel Ochoa (COL) | +1.02 | Álvaro Sierra (COL) | +3.28 |

### 2003-06-30: Circuito en Cali (99 km)

| Place | Stage 14 | Stage 14 | General Classification | General Classification |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Place | Name | Time | Name | Time |
| 1. | Hernán Bonilla (COL) | 2:17.02 | Libardo Niño (COL) | 56:14.59 |
| 2. | Oved Ramírez (COL) | — | Félix Cárdenas (COL) | +2.36 |
| 3. | Alexis Rojas (COL) | — | Álvaro Sierra (COL) | +3.28 |

## Jersey progression

| Stage | Winner | General classification | Points classification | Mountains classification | Youth classification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | John Parra | John Parra | John Parra | Alexánder Roa | Leonardo Duque |
| 2 | Santos Álvarez | John Parra | Diocenes Valdés | Geovanny Chacón | Leonardo Duque |
| 3 | Gil Cordovés | John Parra | Diocenes Valdés | Geovanny Chacón | Leonardo Duque |
| 4 | Daniel Rincón | Daniel Rincón | Diocenes Valdés | Libardo Niño | Mauricio Ortega |
| 5 | Libardo Niño | Libardo Niño | Javier Zapata | Libardo Niño | Mauricio Ortega |
| 6 | Hernán Bonilla | Libardo Niño | Javier Zapata | Libardo Niño | Mauricio Ortega |
| 7 | Félix Cárdenas | Libardo Niño | Javier Zapata | Daniel Rincón | Mauricio Ortega |
| 8 | Alejandro Cortés | Libardo Niño | Javier Zapata | Daniel Rincón | Mauricio Ortega |
| 9 | Carlos Andrés Ibáñez | Libardo Niño | Javier Zapata | Daniel Rincón | Mauricio Ortega |
| 10 | Oscar Álvarez | Libardo Niño | Javier Zapata | Daniel Rincón | Mauricio Ortega |
| 11 | Félix Cárdenas | Libardo Niño | Libardo Niño | Daniel Rincón | Mauricio Ortega |
| 12 | Heberth Gutiérrez | Libardo Niño | Libardo Niño | Daniel Rincón | Mauricio Ortega |
| 13 | Urbelino Mesa | Libardo Niño | Libardo Niño | Félix Cárdenas | Mauricio Ortega |
| 14 | Hernán Bonilla | Libardo Niño | Libardo Niño | Félix Cárdenas | Mauricio Ortega |

## Final classification

| RANK | NAME | TEAM | TIME |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1. | Libardo Niño (COL) | Lotería de Boyacá | 56:14:59 |
| 2. | Félix Cárdenas (COL) | 05 Orbitel | + 2.36 |
| 3. | Álvaro Sierra (COL) | Aguardiente Antioqueño | + 3.28 |
| 4. | Daniel Rincón (COL) | Lotería de Boyacá | + 3.36 |
| 5. | Israel Ochoa (COL) | Lotería de Boyacá | + 3.37 |
| 6. | Urbelino Mesa (COL) | Colombia Selle Italia | + 6.53 |
| 7. | Víctor González (COL) | Alcaldía de Cabimas | + 8.51 |
| 8. | Ismael Sarmiento (COL) | Lotería de Boyacá | + 10.41 |
| 9. | Javier Zapata (COL) | 05 Orbitel | + 12.41 |
| 10. | Heberth Gutiérrez (COL) | 05 Orbitel | + 13.03 |
