Two Baja California cyclists claimed top honors at the Desafío Ensenada By La Vuelta 2026, a 92.3-kilometer race through the Valle de Guadalupe that drew roughly 1,000 riders from Mexico and abroad on Sunday, May 24. Julián Peraza won the men’s overall classification, and Mariana Franco took first place in the women’s category.
The race started at Finca Mirador del Valle and followed a circuit winding through Ensenada’s wine country. Competitors came from Colombia, Spain, France, and the United States, along with cyclists from across Mexico. The event operates under Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) regulations and is tied to the La Vuelta de España brand, one of professional cycling’s three Grand Tours.
Mayor Praises Local Talent at Awards Ceremony
At the awards ceremony, Ensenada Mayor Claudia Agatón Muñiz congratulated both winners. “We are proud that two Baja Californians conquered this competition in Ensenada. It was a day where sport, our landscapes, and our people’s energy made a great combination,” she said.
Agatón noted that the race helped showcase the Valle de Guadalupe, the Ruta del Vino, and the city’s restaurant and hotel offerings to national and international visitors. She called the event an important tool for sports tourism and economic development in the municipality.
International Brand Comes to Baja’s Wine Country
The Desafío Ensenada By La Vuelta is part of a broader strategy to bring La Vuelta de España’s international cycling brand to Mexican cities. A press conference held May 18 at the Museo de la Vid y el Vino outlined the city’s ambitions. Agatón said at that event that Ensenada has the infrastructure and conditions to host large-scale international competitions.
The race route passed through some of the most scenic terrain in northern Baja California, including vineyard-lined roads familiar to anyone who has driven the Valle de Guadalupe on a weekend wine-tasting trip. Normal traffic flow along the race course has been fully restored.
This was the first edition of the Desafío Ensenada By La Vuelta, and city officials have framed it as a repeatable event that could grow in future years. The strong showing by two homegrown athletes adds local pride to the race’s debut.
Originally reported by Ensenada.net and La Jornada Baja California.