Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia (2.1)

Winners, podium, distance, average speed

Murcia is a region in southeast Spain, on the Mediterranean coast. The Vuelta Ciclista a la Region de Murcia is an early March race that currently has 5 stages. For many professionals the Vuelta a Murcia is the season's first stage race. The Vuelta a Murcia does conflict with the Pro Tour ranked Paris–Nice stage race that is often scheduled at about the same time.

The 2010 edition created a firestorm when the promoter, out of pique over Italy's banning Spanish rider Alejandro Valverde from riding in Italy, refused to allow Italian teams in his race. Race boss Paco Guzman was later forced by the UCI to withdraw his ban. No Italian teams chose to ride the Murcia Tour anyway, making the ruckus moot. Many other high-powered squads chose to ride, including Lance Armstrong and Radio Shack and Denis Menchov with Rabobank.

Year	1st Place	2nd Place	3rd Place	Distance	Average Speed km/hr
1985	José Recio 19hr 45min 12sec	Jesus Blanco Villar @ 17sec	Pedro Delgado @ 20sec	778.5 km	39.411
1986	Miguel Induráin 17hr 32min 19sec	Pello Ruiz Cabestany @ 6sec	Jaime Vilamajo @ 7sec	717.5 km	40.910
1987	Pello Ruiz Cabestany 18hr 56min 23sec	Carlos Hernández @ 1sec	Mariano Sanchez @ 2sec	774.6 km	40.898
1988	Carlos Hernández 20hr 3min 40sec	William Palacio @ 19sec	Juan-Tomas Martinez Gutierrez @ 59sec	822 km	40.975
1989	Manuel Alonso 19hr 6min	Silvano Contini @ 59sec	Victor Gonzalo @ 1min 23sec	846 km	44.293
1990	Tom Cordes 21hr 46min 23sec	Santos Hernandez @ 11sec	Eduardo Chozas @ ?	848 km	38.947
1991	José-Luis Villanueva 22hr 27min 59sec	Claudio Chiappucci @ 3sec	Julian Gorospe @ 4sec	878 km	39.081
1992	Alvaro Mejia 19hr 43min 59sec	Antonio Martin @ 10sec	Melchior Mauri @ 13sec	783.4 km	39.700
1993	Carlos Gararreta 20hr 28min 16sec	Laudelino Cubino @ 2sec	Eddy Bouwmans @ 12sec	774.3 km	37.824
1994	Melchior Mauri 17hr 52min 2sec	Aitor Garmendia @ 23sec	Herminio Diaz Zabala @ 31sec	693.1 km	38.792
1995	Adriano Baffi 20hr 18min 46sec	Erik Breukink @ 39sec	Maurizio Fondriest @ 43sec	735.4 km	36.204
1996	Melchior Mauri 19hr 50min 43sec	Wladimir Belli @ 27sec	Rodolfo Massi @ 1min 1sec	752.3 km	37.908
1997	Juan Carlos Dominguez 18hr 44min 23sec	Ignacio Garcia Camacho @ 8sec	Santos González @ 24sec	788.2 km	42.060
1998	Alberto Elli 16hr 35min 3sec	Alexandre Vinokourov @ 41sec	Marco Pantani @ s.t.	650.1 km	39.200
1999	Marco Pantani 17hr 54min 32sec	Javier Pascual Rodriguez @ 24sec	Beat Zberg @ 42sec	669 km	37.356
2000	David Cañada 18hr 9min 31sec	Javier Pascual Llorente @ 51sec	José Alberto Martinez @ 1min 10sec	711.1 km	39.160
2001	Aitor González 15hr 52min 40sec	Javier Pascual Llorente @ 25sec	Mikel Zarrabeitia @ 36sec	640.1 km	40.314
2002	Victor Hugo Peña 16hr 49min 36sec	Jan Hruska @ 5sec	Oscar Camenzind @ 10sec	703.8 km	41.826
2003	Javier Pascual Llorente 15hr 58min 18sec	Jan Hruska @ 17sec	Haimar Zubeldia @ 23sec	656.4 km	41.100
2004	Alejandro Valverde 15hr 49min 31sec	José Ivan Gutierrez @ 5sec	Cadel Evans @ 9sec	656.7 km	41.497
2005	Koldo Gil 15hr 53min 8sec	Antonio Colom @ 30sec	Damiano Cunego @ 59sec	642.7 km	40.458
2006	Santos González 15hr 33min 2sec	José Ivan Gutierrez @ 3sec	David Bernabeu @ 27sec	641.2 km	41.233
2007	Alejandro Valverde 11hr 45min 41sec	Angel Vicioso @ 35sec	Manuel Lloret @ 52sec	486.5 km	39.966
2008	Alejandro Valverde 16hr 29min 1sec	Stefano Garzelli @ 2sec	Alberto Contador @ 6sec	653.8 km	39.663
2009	Denis Menchov 14hr 55min 6sec	Ruben Plaza @ 20sec	Pieter Weening @ 35sec	606.9 km	40.681
2010	Frantisek Rabon 16hr 1min 24sec	Denis Menchov @ 38sec	Bradley Wiggins @ 53sec	630.4 km	39.343
2011	Alberto Contador 9hr 27min 18sec	Jerome Coppel @ 11sec	Denis Menchov @ 17sec	374.3 km	39.588

---