Vuelta a España
Encyclopedia
The Vuelta a España (ˈbwelta a esˈpaɲa; Tour of Spain) is a three-week road bicycle racing
stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours
" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking
calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages. Individual times to finish each stage are totalled to determine the overall winner at the end of the race. The rider with the lowest aggregate time at the end of each day wears the Red Jersey.
First held in 1935
and annually since 1955
, the Vuelta runs for three weeks in a changing route across Spain
. The inaugural event (1935) saw 50 entrants face a 3,411 km (2,119 mi.) course over only 14 stages, averaging over 240 km (149 mi.) per stage. It was inspired by the success of the Tours in France and Italy, and the boost they brought to the circulations of their sponsoring newspaper
s (L'Auto
and La Gazzetta dello Sport
respectively); Juan Pujol of the daily Informaciones instigated the race to increase its circulation.
It was formerly held in the spring (usually late April), with a few editions held in June in the 1940s, but in 1995
the race moved to September to avoid the direct competition with the Giro d'Italia
, held in May. As a result, the Vuelta is now often seen as an important preparation course for the World Championships
which moved to October in the same year. A Vuelta had been organized in August and September 1950.
The course typically includes up to three time trials, and a fair amount of mountain stages. Since 1994, and often before (such as the inaugural edition), the finish of the Vuelta is traditionally the Spanish capital, Madrid
, although Bilbao
(in the 1950s) and San Sebastián
(in the 1970s) were both recurring finish cities for a long period. Behind Madrid, three cities share second place for most Vuelta departures: Gijón
, Bilbao
and one time finish city Jerez de la Frontera
. In 1997, the Vuelta started abroad for the first time, in Lisbon
, Portugal
. The first ever Vuelta
-start outside of the Iberian Peninsula
took place in 2009, when the Dutch city of Assen
hosted the prologue of the 64st Vuelta
.
In 1999
, for the first time, the course crossed the Alto de El Angliru
in Asturias
, which climbs 1,573 meters (5,160 feet) over 12.9 km (8 mi.) with grades as steep as 23.6 percent (at Cueña les Cabres) making it one of the steepest in Europe. Credit for the discovery of this climb and its addition to the Vuelta goes to Miguel Prieto.
The overall leader at present wears a red jersey, although previously it has been the "Maillot amarillo" (Yellow Maillot) and the "Jersey de Oro" (Golden jersey)—the Spanish counterpart to the yellow jersey
of the Tour de France. Other jerseys honour the best climber (King of the Mountains
) and the best sprinter (points competition
) [awarded a blue with yellow fish jersey that is sponsored by Spain's fishing and marine industry]. Usually there are other cycling jersey
s awarded, such as for points leaders in the "Metas Volantes" (intermediate sprints) and for the combination category (a point system that honours the best rider in combined totals for best overall, points and mountains classification).
The record for most wins is held jointly by Switzerland
's Tony Rominger
, who won three consecutive Vueltas in 1992
, 1993
and 1994
; and Roberto Heras
of Spain, winner in 2000
, 2003
and 2004
. Heras also won the 2005 event, but was disqualified for a doping
offense. Spaniards have dominated, winning 30 of the 66 runnings of the Vuelta. France, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Colombia, Ireland (Sean Kelly in 1988), Russia and most recently Kazakhstan have also had first place finishers.
. So the tour was Eibar - Madrid - Eibar, called the Republic Grand Prix. The first stop was Madrid
- Valladolid
.
, who ultimately won, and Mariano Cañardo
Spanish, runner-up. The second edition of the Vuelta, finally held despite the delicate political situation, was also marked by the Deeloor repeat, this time keeping the lead from the first to the last day. After the first two editions, the Spanish race suffered a slowdown because of the Spanish Civil War
.
In 1941
the Vuelta resumed competition with the peloton almost entirely Spanish, with very little foreign representation. That year the dispute was the first time trial of the Vuelta. Julian Berrendero
was proclaimed winner of the Spanish race, he renewed the title a year later. Also Berrendero became king of the mountain for three consecutive years.
Because of World War II
and the precarious economic situation, again this produced another break in the running of the Vuelta a España.
In 1945, the Journal already took over the Mavericks organization and competition, although again with a poor foreign representation in the peloton. On this occasion, Delio Rodriguez
took the final victory. That year also introduced for the first time the points classification, but not be stable until 1955. Four editions were played until 1950, at which time I resigned from the newspaper definitely organize the Tour of Spain.
It was not until 1955 when again held the Spanish race, from the time in charge of the Courier Spanish / The Basque people. Since then, the Vuelta a España has been run annually. In addition, the Vuelta became stably held between the months of April and May, while its conclusion had previously ranged between April and August. Another variation was the number of participants, hitherto very low, which was doubled, and larger populations of large foreign and national figures.
, Jacques Anquetil
won the general classification, establishing himself as the first rider to win all three Grand Tours. Five years later, in 1968
, Felice Gimondi
would do the same. Only Eddy Merckx
in 1973
, Bernard Hinault
in 1978
and 1983
and Alberto Contador
who won in 2008
managed to repeat the feat.
Antonio Karmany
dominated the mountain classification for three consecutive years, then was relieved by Julio Jimenez, who won it for another three years.
In 1965
, Rik Van Looy
became the first rider to repeat victory in the points classification. Jan Janssen
in 1968
and 1974
Perurena Sunday would do the same, winning this classification twice.
During mid 60's the organizer of the Vuelta, El Correo Spanish / The Basque people, went through some financial problems that endangered the dispute of the competition. However, during that time all editions ended normally. In 1968
, the Vuelta was hit by a terrorist attack and other events, having to cancel the 15th stage. Fortunately, there were no fatalities.
, who was already established in the international squad as one of the greats of cycling.
José Manuel Fuente, with victories in 1972
and 1974
, became the third rider who won two Tours of Spain. A few years later, Bernard Hinault repeat the feat, which was also achieved by Pedro Delgado during the 1980s.
In 1973
, Eddy Merckx
managed to win the Vuelta and he did in a landslide, winning all six stages and individual rankings with the exception of the classification of the mountain, which he finished second.
Freddy Maertens
in 1977
echoed a similar domination Merckx demonstrated a few years earlier, by winning thirteen stages and other individual classifications except the mountain. In the mid-1970s, Andres Oliva also managed to earn the champion of the mountain title in three editions of the Vuelta.
Frenchman Bernard Hinault
came out in 1978 as an international cycling star. The same year, Hinault won his first Tour de France. The last stage of that edition also had to be suspended because of riots and barricades that prevented the normal course of it.
When 1979 the Courier Spanish / The Basque left to sponsor the Spanish race, Vuelta was again endangered. However, the company Unipublic, which continues to organize the various editions of the Vuelta today, took charge of the competition. This, coupled with increased advertising and the beginning of the broadcasts via television, further increased the level of the Vuelta.
In 1982
came the first case of dispossession of the title for doping. Two days after the end of the competition, Angel Arroyo
(along with a few other riders) were disqualified and lost his victory to Marino Lejarreta
. Despite the application of the 'B, he again tested positive. Arroyo was given a ten minute penalty, and ultimately ended up placing thirteenth in the general classification.
Next year's edition was the first appearance of the Lagos de Covadonga and final stage, an ascent that would become, over the years, the most iconic climb of the Vuelta a España. In 1984
it played the issue that ended with the smallest difference between the first and second place. Eric Caritoux
, a complete unknown until then, managed to win the Vuelta with only six seconds ahead of Alberto Fernandez in second place.
The end of the 80s was marked by the rise of Colombian cycling, which presented a strong command particularly in the mountain stages. Names such as Lucho Herrera (winner in 1987
) or Fabio Parra
(2nd in 1989
) appeared in the latest editions of the decade. However, the return of one of the rulers at that time was Pedro Delgado
, with two victories (1985
and 1989
), a second place, and two third place finishes.
, the first rider to win three times and win the race consecutively between 1992 and 1994. In the 93 years, Tony Rominger won the individual classifications.
The fiftieth edition of the Vuelta, which was held in 1995
, coincided with the change of dates. The Vuelta a España came to be held in September, and near the end of the season. That year Laurent Jalabert
won all classifications, something no one else has achieved in the Spanish race. The Frenchman also was also a four-time winner of the points classification, matching the previous record set by Kelly in the '80s.
In 1997
, the tour started for the first time in a foreign country. They began in Lisbon
, on the occasion of Expo '98.
The ascent of the Alto de L'Angliru is part of a stage for the first time in 1999, with the victory of Jose Maria Jimenez
, four-time winner of the classification of the mountain. The reputation of the climb grew rapidly because of its hardness and the spectacular rise.
, who achieved victory on three occasions, and in 2005 did it for the fourth time. However, as happened with Angel Arroyo
in 1982, was disqualified days after the end of the competition after testing positive in a doping test, this time for use of EPO
. This positive development was later ratified by the counter-analysis and Heras was stripped of his title, benefiting the Russian cyclist Denis Menchov
. In 2006 Alexandre Vinokourov won after a struggle with the then leader of the UCI Pro Tour, Alejandro Valverde
. In the 2007 edition Denis Menchov
again clinched the overall victory by more than three minutes over the Spanish cyclists Carlos Sastre
and Samuel Sánchez
. In 2008, the winner was the Spaniard Alberto Contador, who won that year's Giro d'Italia, and became the first Spanish man to win all three Grand Tours. In 2009, the Tour began in Drenthe, Netherlands, continuing through Belgium and Germany. The final winner was Alejandro Valverde, who adopted a conservative stance without winning any stage and sprinting in the final meters to achieve bonuses. His main rivals were Samuel Sanchez (second place), Cadel Evans
(third), Ivan Basso
, Robert Gesink
and Ezequiel Mosquera
. All of them suffered critical falls or punctures such as Evans in Monachil.
(maillot jaune or yellow jersey) and the Giro d'Italia
(maglia rosa or pink jersey). The color of the leader's jersey of the Vuelta a España has changed several times since the original tour. The organizers who revived the Vuelta following its multiple suspensions since 1936 usually changed the color of the jersey. The leader's jersey began as orange in 1935, became white in 1941, then back to orange in 1942. It was white with a horizontal red stripe from 1945-1950. In 1955, when the Courier resurrected the Vuelta, yellow became the color of the leader's jersey, the same color as in the Tour de France. Except for the 1977 Vuelta, when the jersey was orange, a yellow jersey was worn until 1998, when the color was deepened to a gold hue. However, for the 2010 edition, the colour of the leader's jersey was changed to red.
Since the 1950 Vuelta, the leaders of the other race classifications have been permitted to wear identifying jerseys (previously, there was an official mountain classification, but no identifying jersey). For a long time, a blue jersey identified the leader of the points classification, green the leader of the mountain classification, and red the leader of the sprints classification. Recently, these other classifications have taken on the same colors as the Tour de France.
http://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/races/results/results_vuelta_a_espana.txt
Road bicycle racing
Road bicycle racing is a bicycle racing sport held on roads, using racing bicycles. The term "road racing" is usually applied to events where competing riders start simultaneously with the winner being the first to the line at the end of the course .Historically, the most...
stage race that is one of the three "Grand Tours
Grand Tour (cycling)
In road bicycle racing, a Grand Tour refers to one of the three major European professional cycling stage races:* Tour de France – Tour of France , held in July* Giro d'Italia – Tour of Italy , held in May...
" of Europe and part of the UCI World Ranking
UCI World Ranking
The UCI World Tour is the premier annual male elite road cycling tour. It refers to both the tour of 27 events and an annual ranking system based upon performances in these...
calendar. The race lasts three weeks and attracts cyclists from around the world. The race is broken into day-long segments, called stages. Individual times to finish each stage are totalled to determine the overall winner at the end of the race. The rider with the lowest aggregate time at the end of each day wears the Red Jersey.
History
1935 Vuelta a España
The 1st edition of Vuelta a España took place April 29 to May 15, 1935, and consisted of 14 stages and 3425 km, the winning average speed was 28.54 km/h. The Vuelta began and ended in Madrid, Spain....
and annually since 1955
1955 Vuelta a España
The 10th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 25 to May 8, 1955. It consisted of 15 stages covering a total of 2,740 km, and was won by Jean Dotto. Fiorenzo Magni won the points classification and Giuseppe Buratti won the...
, the Vuelta runs for three weeks in a changing route across Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. The inaugural event (1935) saw 50 entrants face a 3,411 km (2,119 mi.) course over only 14 stages, averaging over 240 km (149 mi.) per stage. It was inspired by the success of the Tours in France and Italy, and the boost they brought to the circulations of their sponsoring newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s (L'Auto
L'Équipe
L'Équipe is a French nationwide daily newspaper devoted to sports, owned by Éditions Philippe Amaury. The paper is noted for coverage of football , rugby, motorsports and cycling...
and La Gazzetta dello Sport
La Gazzetta dello Sport
La Gazzetta dello Sport is an Italian newspaper dedicated to coverage of various sports. It was first published on April 3, 1896, allowing it to cover the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens...
respectively); Juan Pujol of the daily Informaciones instigated the race to increase its circulation.
It was formerly held in the spring (usually late April), with a few editions held in June in the 1940s, but in 1995
1995 Vuelta a España
The 50th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 2 to September 24, 1995. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 3750 km, and was won by Laurent Jalabert of the ONCE cycling team...
the race moved to September to avoid the direct competition with the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
, held in May. As a result, the Vuelta is now often seen as an important preparation course for the World Championships
UCI Road World Championships
The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale...
which moved to October in the same year. A Vuelta had been organized in August and September 1950.
The course typically includes up to three time trials, and a fair amount of mountain stages. Since 1994, and often before (such as the inaugural edition), the finish of the Vuelta is traditionally the Spanish capital, Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
, although Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
(in the 1950s) and San Sebastián
San Sebastián
Donostia-San Sebastián is a city and municipality located in the north of Spain, in the coast of the Bay of Biscay and 20 km away from the French border. The city is the capital of Gipuzkoa, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. The municipality’s population is 186,122 , and its...
(in the 1970s) were both recurring finish cities for a long period. Behind Madrid, three cities share second place for most Vuelta departures: Gijón
Gijón
Gijón , officially Gijón / Xixón, is a coastal industrial city and a municipality in the autonomous community of Asturias in Spain. Early mediaeval texts mention it as "Gigia". It was an important regional Roman city, although the area has been settled since earliest history...
, Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
and one time finish city Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera
Jerez de la Frontera is a municipality in the province of Cádiz in the autonomous community of Andalusia, in southwestern Spain, situated midway between the sea and the mountains. , the city, the largest in the province, had 208,896 inhabitants; it is the fifth largest in Andalusia...
. In 1997, the Vuelta started abroad for the first time, in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. The first ever Vuelta
Vuelta
Vuelta may refer to:*Vuelta a España, a cycling race in Spain*Vuelta , published in Mexico by Octavio Paz*Vuelta , a record by Richard Shindell*Vuelta , an Argentine motion picture of 1997...
-start outside of the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...
took place in 2009, when the Dutch city of Assen
Assen
Assen is a municipality and a city in the north eastern Netherlands, capital of the province of Drenthe. It received city rights in 1809. Assen's main claim to fame is the TT Circuit Assen the motorcycle racing circuit, where on the last Saturday in June the Dutch TT is run...
hosted the prologue of the 64st Vuelta
2009 Vuelta a España
The 2009 Vuelta a España was the 64th Vuelta a España. The event took place from 29 August to 20 September 2009. For only the second time in the race's history, it began away from Spanish soil, with the race not in fact reaching Spain until Stage 5....
.
In 1999
1999 Vuelta a España
The 1999 Vuelta a España was the 54th Vuelta a España, taking place from September 4 starting in Murcia and finishing in Madrid on September 26, 1999. It consisted of 21 stages over 3576 km, ridden at an average speed of 39.449 km/h. The favourites were Laurent Jalabert, Alex Zülle, Jan...
, for the first time, the course crossed the Alto de El Angliru
Alto de El Angliru
Alto del Angliru is a steep mountain road in Asturias, near La Vega-Riosa, in northern Spain. It is one of the most demanding climbs in professional road bicycle racing...
in Asturias
Asturias
The Principality of Asturias is an autonomous community of the Kingdom of Spain, coextensive with the former Kingdom of Asturias in the Middle Ages...
, which climbs 1,573 meters (5,160 feet) over 12.9 km (8 mi.) with grades as steep as 23.6 percent (at Cueña les Cabres) making it one of the steepest in Europe. Credit for the discovery of this climb and its addition to the Vuelta goes to Miguel Prieto.
The overall leader at present wears a red jersey, although previously it has been the "Maillot amarillo" (Yellow Maillot) and the "Jersey de Oro" (Golden jersey)—the Spanish counterpart to the yellow jersey
Yellow jersey
The general classification in the Tour de France is the most important classification, the one by which the winner of the Tour de France is determined. Since 1919, the leader of the general classification wears the yellow jersey .-History:...
of the Tour de France. Other jerseys honour the best climber (King of the Mountains
King of the Mountains
The King of the Mountains is the title given to the best climber in a cycling road race; usually and officially known as the Mountains classification...
) and the best sprinter (points competition
Points classification
The points classification is a secondary award category in road bicycle racing. Points are given for high finishes and, in some cases, for winning intermediate sprints. The points classification is the top prize for many cycling sprinters and therefore is often known as the Sprint Classification;...
) [awarded a blue with yellow fish jersey that is sponsored by Spain's fishing and marine industry]. Usually there are other cycling jersey
Cycling jersey
A cycling jersey is a specialized jersey for cycling. While the vast majority of cyclists worldwide wear conventional clothing while riding, a jersey offers certain advantages for the serious cyclist. A cycling jersey is cut long in the back to accommodate the bent-over position used in serious...
s awarded, such as for points leaders in the "Metas Volantes" (intermediate sprints) and for the combination category (a point system that honours the best rider in combined totals for best overall, points and mountains classification).
The record for most wins is held jointly by Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
's Tony Rominger
Tony Rominger
Tony Rominger is a Swiss former professional road racing cyclist who won the Vuelta a España in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and the Giro d'Italia in 1995.He began cycling late, allegedly spurred by competition with his brother...
, who won three consecutive Vueltas in 1992
1992 Vuelta a España
The 47th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 27 to May 17, 1992...
, 1993
1993 Vuelta a España
The 48th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 26 to May 15, 1993. It consisted of 20 stages covering a total of 3605 km, and was won by Tony Rominger of the Clas-Cajastur cycling team.Tony Rominger, winner of the previous...
and 1994
1994 Vuelta a España
The 49th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 25 to May 15, 1994. It consisted of 20 stages covering a total of 3531 km, and was won by Tony Rominger of the cycling team.Tony Rominger, winner of the past two editions, was once...
; and Roberto Heras
Roberto Heras
Roberto Heras Hernández is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer who won the Vuelta a España a record-tying three times. He broke the record with a fourth win in 2005, but was disqualified for taking EPO. In June 2011, Heras successfully appealed the disqualification in the civil court...
of Spain, winner in 2000
2000 Vuelta a España
The 55th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from August 26 to September 17, 2000. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 2,904 km, and was won by Roberto Heras of the cycling team.-External links:**...
, 2003
2003 Vuelta a España
The 58th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 6 to September 28, 2003...
and 2004
2004 Vuelta a España
The 59th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 4 to September 26, 2004...
. Heras also won the 2005 event, but was disqualified for a doping
Doping (sport)
The use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport is commonly referred to by the term "doping", particularly by those organizations that regulate competitions. The use of performance enhancing drugs is mostly done to improve athletic performance. This is why many sports ban the use of performance...
offense. Spaniards have dominated, winning 30 of the 66 runnings of the Vuelta. France, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Colombia, Ireland (Sean Kelly in 1988), Russia and most recently Kazakhstan have also had first place finishers.
1934-36
The first races were run at the national level and were promoted by the manufacturers of bicycles EibarÉibar
Eibar is a city and municipality within the province of Gipuzkoa, in the Basque Country of Spain. The city was chartered by Alfonso XI of Castile in 1346...
. So the tour was Eibar - Madrid - Eibar, called the Republic Grand Prix. The first stop was Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
- Valladolid
Valladolid
Valladolid is a historic city and municipality in north-central Spain, situated at the confluence of the Pisuerga and Esgueva rivers, and located within three wine-making regions: Ribera del Duero, Rueda and Cigales...
.
1935-1960
In early 1935, Clemente Lopez Doriga, in collaboration with Juan Pujol, director of information daily, organized the Vuelta a España, with a distance 3431 km, in a total of 14 stages. That year saw the first great duel in the history of the Vuelta, between Belgium's Gustaaf DeloorGustaaf Deloor
Gustaaf Deloor was a Belgian road racing cyclist and the winner of the first two editions of the Vuelta a España in 1935 and 1936. The 1936 edition remains the longest winning finish time of the Vuelta in 150:07:54, the race consisted of 22 stages with a total length of 4,407 km...
, who ultimately won, and Mariano Cañardo
Mariano Cañardo
Mariano Cañardo Lacasta was a Spanish professional road racing cyclist. Cañardo has won a record seven editions of the Volta a Catalunya...
Spanish, runner-up. The second edition of the Vuelta, finally held despite the delicate political situation, was also marked by the Deeloor repeat, this time keeping the lead from the first to the last day. After the first two editions, the Spanish race suffered a slowdown because of the Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
.
In 1941
1941 Vuelta a España
The 3rd Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from June 12 to July 6, 1941. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 4,409 km....
the Vuelta resumed competition with the peloton almost entirely Spanish, with very little foreign representation. That year the dispute was the first time trial of the Vuelta. Julian Berrendero
Julian Berrendero
Julián Berrendero Martín was a Spanish road racing cyclist. He is most famous for having won the third and fourth editions of the Vuelta a España in 1941 and 1942...
was proclaimed winner of the Spanish race, he renewed the title a year later. Also Berrendero became king of the mountain for three consecutive years.
Because of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the precarious economic situation, again this produced another break in the running of the Vuelta a España.
In 1945, the Journal already took over the Mavericks organization and competition, although again with a poor foreign representation in the peloton. On this occasion, Delio Rodriguez
Delio Rodriguez
Delio Rodríguez Barros was a Spanish professional road racing cyclist and sprinter. Despite winning 12 stages at the 1941 Vuelta and 8 stages at the 1942 Vuelta, Rodríguez failed to make the top five places in the overall standings...
took the final victory. That year also introduced for the first time the points classification, but not be stable until 1955. Four editions were played until 1950, at which time I resigned from the newspaper definitely organize the Tour of Spain.
It was not until 1955 when again held the Spanish race, from the time in charge of the Courier Spanish / The Basque people. Since then, the Vuelta a España has been run annually. In addition, the Vuelta became stably held between the months of April and May, while its conclusion had previously ranged between April and August. Another variation was the number of participants, hitherto very low, which was doubled, and larger populations of large foreign and national figures.
1960-1970
The prestige of the Vuelta was growing and, increasingly, there were stars in the presence of cyclists on the international scene. During the late 1950s came the first successes in the overall standings of Italian and French riders. In the 1960s, they would also be joined by German and Dutch riders. In 19631963 Vuelta a España
The 18th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from May 1 to May 15, 1963. It consisted of 15 stages covering a total of , and was won by Jacques Anquetil of the St. Raphael-Gitane cycling team...
, Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil
Jacques Anquetil was a French road racing cyclist and the first cyclist to win the Tour de France five times, in 1957 and from 1961 to 1964...
won the general classification, establishing himself as the first rider to win all three Grand Tours. Five years later, in 1968
1968 Vuelta a España
The 23rd Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 25 to May 12, 1968. It consisted of 18 stages covering a total of 3,014 km, and was won by Felice Gimondi of the Salvarani cycling team...
, Felice Gimondi
Felice Gimondi
Felice Gimondi is an Italian former professional racing cyclist.With his 1968 victory at the Vuelta a España, only three years after becoming a professional cyclist, Gimondi, nicknamed "The Phoenix", was the second cyclist to win all three Grand Tours of road cycling: Tour de France , Giro...
would do the same. Only Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
in 1973
1973 Vuelta a España
The 28th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 26 to May 13, 1973. It consisted of 17 stages covering a total of 3,061 km, and was won by Eddy Merckx of the Molteni cycling team...
, Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault is a former French cyclist known for five victories in the Tour de France. He is one of only five cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours, and the only cyclist to have won each more than once. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985...
in 1978
1978 Vuelta a España
The 33rd Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 25 to May 14, 1978. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 2,995 km, and was won by Bernard Hinault of the Renault-Elf-Gitane cycling team...
and 1983
1983 Vuelta a España
The 38th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 19 to May 8, 1983...
and Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador
Alberto Contador Velasco is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He was the winner of the 2007 Tour de France with the team. With the Astana team he has won the 2008 Giro d'Italia, the 2008 Vuelta a España, the 2009 Tour de France, the 2010 Tour de France and won 2011 Giro...
who won in 2008
2008 Vuelta a España
The 2008 Vuelta a España was the 63rd edition of the Vuelta a España, one of cycling's Grand Tours. The event took place from 30 August to 21 September 2008 over 21 stages covering . The first stage was a team time trial in Granada. The event finished in Madrid 23 days later...
managed to repeat the feat.
Antonio Karmany
Antonio Karmany
Antonio Karmany Mestres is a Spanish former professional road racing cyclist.-Major Results:195719581959...
dominated the mountain classification for three consecutive years, then was relieved by Julio Jimenez, who won it for another three years.
In 1965
1965 Vuelta a España
The 20th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 29 to May 16, 1965. It consisted of 18 stages covering a total of 3,410 km, and was won by Rolf Wolfshohl of the Mercier cycling team...
, Rik Van Looy
Rik Van Looy
Henri van Looy is a Belgian former professional cyclist of the post-war period, nicknamed the King of the Classics or Emperor of Herentals...
became the first rider to repeat victory in the points classification. Jan Janssen
Jan Janssen
Johannes Adrianus Janssen, known as Jan Janssen is a Dutch former professional cyclist . He was world champion and winner of the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. He was the first Dutch rider to win the Tour de France.Janssen was born at Nootdorp, a small town near Rotterdam and Delft...
in 1968
1968 Vuelta a España
The 23rd Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 25 to May 12, 1968. It consisted of 18 stages covering a total of 3,014 km, and was won by Felice Gimondi of the Salvarani cycling team...
and 1974
1974 Vuelta a España
The 29th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 23 to May 12, 1974. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 2,987 km, and was won by José Manuel Fuente of the Kas-Kaskol cycling team...
Perurena Sunday would do the same, winning this classification twice.
During mid 60's the organizer of the Vuelta, El Correo Spanish / The Basque people, went through some financial problems that endangered the dispute of the competition. However, during that time all editions ended normally. In 1968
1968 Vuelta a España
The 23rd Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 25 to May 12, 1968. It consisted of 18 stages covering a total of 3,014 km, and was won by Felice Gimondi of the Salvarani cycling team...
, the Vuelta was hit by a terrorist attack and other events, having to cancel the 15th stage. Fortunately, there were no fatalities.
1970-1980
The '70s began with the triumph of Luis OcañaLuis Ocaña
Jesús Luis Ocaña Pernía was a Spanish road bicycle racer who won the Tour de France in 1973 and the Vuelta a España in 1970.- Early professional career :...
, who was already established in the international squad as one of the greats of cycling.
José Manuel Fuente, with victories in 1972
1972 Vuelta a España
The 27th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 27 to May 14, 1972. It consisted of 17 stages covering a total of 3,086.6 km, and was won by José Manuel Fuente of the Kas-Kaskol cycling team...
and 1974
1974 Vuelta a España
The 29th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 23 to May 12, 1974. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 2,987 km, and was won by José Manuel Fuente of the Kas-Kaskol cycling team...
, became the third rider who won two Tours of Spain. A few years later, Bernard Hinault repeat the feat, which was also achieved by Pedro Delgado during the 1980s.
In 1973
1973 Vuelta a España
The 28th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 26 to May 13, 1973. It consisted of 17 stages covering a total of 3,061 km, and was won by Eddy Merckx of the Molteni cycling team...
, Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Edouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx , better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional cyclist. The French magazine Vélo called him "the most accomplished rider that cycling has ever known." The American publication, VeloNews, called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all...
managed to win the Vuelta and he did in a landslide, winning all six stages and individual rankings with the exception of the classification of the mountain, which he finished second.
Freddy Maertens
Freddy Maertens
Freddy Maertens is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist and twice World Road Race Champion.- Career :...
in 1977
1977 Vuelta a España
The 32nd Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 26 to May 15, 1977. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 2,785 km, and was won by Freddy Maertens of the Flandria cycling team. Maertens dominated the race and also won the...
echoed a similar domination Merckx demonstrated a few years earlier, by winning thirteen stages and other individual classifications except the mountain. In the mid-1970s, Andres Oliva also managed to earn the champion of the mountain title in three editions of the Vuelta.
Frenchman Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault
Bernard Hinault is a former French cyclist known for five victories in the Tour de France. He is one of only five cyclists to have won all three Grand Tours, and the only cyclist to have won each more than once. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985...
came out in 1978 as an international cycling star. The same year, Hinault won his first Tour de France. The last stage of that edition also had to be suspended because of riots and barricades that prevented the normal course of it.
When 1979 the Courier Spanish / The Basque left to sponsor the Spanish race, Vuelta was again endangered. However, the company Unipublic, which continues to organize the various editions of the Vuelta today, took charge of the competition. This, coupled with increased advertising and the beginning of the broadcasts via television, further increased the level of the Vuelta.
1980-1990
In the early 1980s, two names stand out in the supplementary classifications: José Luis Laguía, who won the mountain classification five times, and Sean Kelly, who won four times in the points classification.In 1982
1982 Vuelta a España
The 37th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 20 to May 9, 1982. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 3456 km, and was won by Marino Lejarreta of the Teka cycling team.The Reynolds team controlled the race after team...
came the first case of dispossession of the title for doping. Two days after the end of the competition, Angel Arroyo
Ángel Arroyo
Angel Arroyo Lanchas is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. In the 1983 Tour de France, Arroyo won one stage and finished 2nd place in the general classification....
(along with a few other riders) were disqualified and lost his victory to Marino Lejarreta
Marino Lejarreta
Marino Lejarreta Arrizabalaga is a retired Spanish professional road racing cyclist. His biggest victory was capturing the 1982 Vuelta a España, a Grand Tour stage race, and he is the inaugural and record three-time winner of the Clásica de San Sebastián , which is now considered a one-day classic...
. Despite the application of the 'B, he again tested positive. Arroyo was given a ten minute penalty, and ultimately ended up placing thirteenth in the general classification.
Next year's edition was the first appearance of the Lagos de Covadonga and final stage, an ascent that would become, over the years, the most iconic climb of the Vuelta a España. In 1984
1984 Vuelta a España
The 39th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 17 to May 6, 1984. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 3,593 km, and was won by Éric Caritoux of the Skil-Sem cycling team...
it played the issue that ended with the smallest difference between the first and second place. Eric Caritoux
Éric Caritoux
Éric Caritoux is a French former professional road racing cyclist who raced between 1983 and 1994. He had 22 victories in his career, the highlights of which were winning the Vuelta a España in 1984 and taking the French road race championships in 1988 and 1989...
, a complete unknown until then, managed to win the Vuelta with only six seconds ahead of Alberto Fernandez in second place.
The end of the 80s was marked by the rise of Colombian cycling, which presented a strong command particularly in the mountain stages. Names such as Lucho Herrera (winner in 1987
1987 Vuelta a España
The 42nd Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 23 to May 15, 1987. It consisted of 22 stages covering a total of 3,921 km, and was won by Luis Herrera of the Café de Colombia cycling team...
) or Fabio Parra
Fabio Parra
Fabio Enrique Parra Pinto is a retired Colombian road racing cyclist. Parra was successful as an amateur in Colombia, winning the Novatos classification for new riders or riders riding their first edition of the race, and finishing 14th in the 1979 Vuelta a Colombia and then the General...
(2nd in 1989
1989 Vuelta a España
The 44th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 24 to May 15, 1989. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 3656 km, and was won by Pedro Delgado of the Reynolds cycling team.Pedro Delgado had won the previous Tour de France...
) appeared in the latest editions of the decade. However, the return of one of the rulers at that time was Pedro Delgado
Pedro Delgado
Pedro Delgado Robledo , also known as Perico, is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. He won the 1988 Tour de France, as well as the Vuelta a España in 1985 and 1989....
, with two victories (1985
1985 Vuelta a España
The 40th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from 23 April to 12 May 1985...
and 1989
1989 Vuelta a España
The 44th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 24 to May 15, 1989. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 3656 km, and was won by Pedro Delgado of the Reynolds cycling team.Pedro Delgado had won the previous Tour de France...
), a second place, and two third place finishes.
1990–2000
The first half of the 1990s was marked by the dominance of Swiss Tony RomingerTony Rominger
Tony Rominger is a Swiss former professional road racing cyclist who won the Vuelta a España in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and the Giro d'Italia in 1995.He began cycling late, allegedly spurred by competition with his brother...
, the first rider to win three times and win the race consecutively between 1992 and 1994. In the 93 years, Tony Rominger won the individual classifications.
The fiftieth edition of the Vuelta, which was held in 1995
1995 Vuelta a España
The 50th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 2 to September 24, 1995. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 3750 km, and was won by Laurent Jalabert of the ONCE cycling team...
, coincided with the change of dates. The Vuelta a España came to be held in September, and near the end of the season. That year Laurent Jalabert
Laurent Jalabert
Laurent Jalabert is a French former professional road racing cyclist, from 1989 to 2002. Affectionately known as "Jaja" , he won many one-day and stage races and was ranked number 1 in the 1990s...
won all classifications, something no one else has achieved in the Spanish race. The Frenchman also was also a four-time winner of the points classification, matching the previous record set by Kelly in the '80s.
In 1997
1997 Vuelta a España
The 52nd Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 6 to September 28, 1997. It consisted of 22 stages covering a total of 3,773 km, and was won by Alex Zülle of the ONCE cycling team.-Stages:-Final General Classification...
, the tour started for the first time in a foreign country. They began in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, on the occasion of Expo '98.
The ascent of the Alto de L'Angliru is part of a stage for the first time in 1999, with the victory of Jose Maria Jimenez
José Maria Jiménez
Jose María Jimenez Sastre was a professional road bicycle racer. His nickname was "El Chava".When he turned professional, Jiménez was considered a potential successor of Miguel Indurain...
, four-time winner of the classification of the mountain. The reputation of the climb grew rapidly because of its hardness and the spectacular rise.
2000-2010
The first editions of the 2000s were marked by the dominance of Roberto HerasRoberto Heras
Roberto Heras Hernández is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer who won the Vuelta a España a record-tying three times. He broke the record with a fourth win in 2005, but was disqualified for taking EPO. In June 2011, Heras successfully appealed the disqualification in the civil court...
, who achieved victory on three occasions, and in 2005 did it for the fourth time. However, as happened with Angel Arroyo
Ángel Arroyo
Angel Arroyo Lanchas is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer. In the 1983 Tour de France, Arroyo won one stage and finished 2nd place in the general classification....
in 1982, was disqualified days after the end of the competition after testing positive in a doping test, this time for use of EPO
Erythropoietin
Erythropoietin, or its alternatives erythropoetin or erthropoyetin or EPO, is a glycoprotein hormone that controls erythropoiesis, or red blood cell production...
. This positive development was later ratified by the counter-analysis and Heras was stripped of his title, benefiting the Russian cyclist Denis Menchov
Denis Menchov
Denis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
. In 2006 Alexandre Vinokourov won after a struggle with the then leader of the UCI Pro Tour, Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde
Alejandro Valverde Belmonte is a Spanish road racing cyclist currently under suspension. He last rode for UCI ProTour team . Valverde's biggest wins have been the 2009 Vuelta a España, the Liège–Bastogne–Liège in 2006, 2008 and 2006 UCI ProTour series championship...
. In the 2007 edition Denis Menchov
Denis Menchov
Denis Nikolayevich Menchov , born 25 January 1978 in Oryol, is a professional Russian road bicycle racer for . He is a general classification rider and a climber. In 2005 he won the Vuelta a España, which he won for a second time in 2007...
again clinched the overall victory by more than three minutes over the Spanish cyclists Carlos Sastre
Carlos Sastre
Carlos Sastre Candil is a retired Spanish professional road bicycle racer and champion of the 2008 Tour de France. Sastre rides in 2011 for UCI Professional Continental team...
and Samuel Sánchez
Samuel Sánchez
Samuel Sánchez González is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer. He was the gold medal winner in the 2008 Beijing Olympics Men's Road Race. In recent years Sánchez has proven himself in hilly classics and stage races as one of the most important riders in the peloton...
. In 2008, the winner was the Spaniard Alberto Contador, who won that year's Giro d'Italia, and became the first Spanish man to win all three Grand Tours. In 2009, the Tour began in Drenthe, Netherlands, continuing through Belgium and Germany. The final winner was Alejandro Valverde, who adopted a conservative stance without winning any stage and sprinting in the final meters to achieve bonuses. His main rivals were Samuel Sanchez (second place), Cadel Evans
Cadel Evans
Cadel Lee Evans is an Australian professional racing cyclist and winner of the 2011 Tour de France. Early in his career, Evans was a champion mountain biker, winning the World Cup in 1998 and 1999 and placing seventh in the men's cross-country mountain bike race at the 2000 Summer Olympics in...
(third), Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso
Ivan Basso is an Italian professional road bicycle racer who is currently racing with UCI ProTeam . Basso, nicknamed Ivan the Terrible, is among the best mountain riders in the professional field in the 21st century, and is considered one of the strongest stage race riders...
, Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink
Robert Gesink is a Dutch professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam Rabobank.-Early years:At the Junior World Championships of 2004 UCI Road World Championships in Verona, Gesink finished eighth in the individual time trial and sixth in the road race, while riding for team De Peddelaars in...
and Ezequiel Mosquera
Ezequiel Mosquera
Ezequiel Mosquera Míguez is a Spanish professional road bicycle racer for UCI ProTeam . He has finished in the top 5 of the Vuelta a España in all appearances, and finished second in the 2010, after putting in a strong time trial and winning the penultimate stage to Bola del Mundo.On September 30,...
. All of them suffered critical falls or punctures such as Evans in Monachil.
Leaders Jersey
The leader of the tour is permitted to wear a jersey of a particular color signifying the lead, as in the Tour de FranceTour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
(maillot jaune or yellow jersey) and the Giro d'Italia
Giro d'Italia
The Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...
(maglia rosa or pink jersey). The color of the leader's jersey of the Vuelta a España has changed several times since the original tour. The organizers who revived the Vuelta following its multiple suspensions since 1936 usually changed the color of the jersey. The leader's jersey began as orange in 1935, became white in 1941, then back to orange in 1942. It was white with a horizontal red stripe from 1945-1950. In 1955, when the Courier resurrected the Vuelta, yellow became the color of the leader's jersey, the same color as in the Tour de France. Except for the 1977 Vuelta, when the jersey was orange, a yellow jersey was worn until 1998, when the color was deepened to a gold hue. However, for the 2010 edition, the colour of the leader's jersey was changed to red.
Since the 1950 Vuelta, the leaders of the other race classifications have been permitted to wear identifying jerseys (previously, there was an official mountain classification, but no identifying jersey). For a long time, a blue jersey identified the leader of the points classification, green the leader of the mountain classification, and red the leader of the sprints classification. Recently, these other classifications have taken on the same colors as the Tour de France.
Statistics
In the table below, the ten smallest margins between the winner and the second placed cyclists at the end of the Vuelta are given.| Winning margin | Year | Opponents |
|---|---|---|
| 6" | 1984 1984 Vuelta a España The 39th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 17 to May 6, 1984. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 3,593 km, and was won by Éric Caritoux of the Skil-Sem cycling team... |
Éric Caritoux – Alberto Fernández Blanco |
| 11" | 1974 1974 Vuelta a España The 29th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 23 to May 12, 1974. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 2,987 km, and was won by José Manuel Fuente of the Kas-Kaskol cycling team... |
José Manuel Fuente – Joaquim Agostinho |
| 13" | 1956 1956 Vuelta a España The 11th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 29 to May 13, 1956. It consisted of 17 stages covering a total of 3,531 km, and was won by Angelo Conterno of the Bianchi cycling team... |
Angelo Conterno – Jesús Loroño |
| 2011 2011 Vuelta a España The 2011 Vuelta a España was held from 20 August to 11 September. The race began in Benidorm with a team time trial and ended, as is traditional, in Madrid. The 2011 Vuelta was the 66th edition of the race and was the first Vuelta in 33 years that visited the Basque Country... |
Juan José Cobo – Chris Froome | |
| 14" | 1975 1975 Vuelta a España The 30th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 22 to May 11, 1975. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 3,104 km, and was won by Agustin Tamames of the Super Seus cycling team... |
Agustin Tamames – Agustin Tamames |
| 18" | 1982 1982 Vuelta a España The 37th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 20 to May 9, 1982. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 3456 km, and was won by Marino Lejarreta of the Teka cycling team.The Reynolds team controlled the race after team... |
Marino Lejarreta – Michel Pollentier |
| 2005 | Denis Menchov – Carlos Sastre | |
| 28" | 2003 2003 Vuelta a España The 58th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 6 to September 28, 2003... |
Roberto Heras – Isidro Nozal |
| 29" | 1993 1993 Vuelta a España The 48th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 26 to May 15, 1993. It consisted of 20 stages covering a total of 3605 km, and was won by Tony Rominger of the Clas-Cajastur cycling team.Tony Rominger, winner of the previous... |
Tony Rominger – Alex Zülle |
| 30" | 2004 2004 Vuelta a España The 59th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 4 to September 26, 2004... |
Roberto Heras – Santiago Pérez |
| 33" | 1964 1964 Vuelta a España The 19th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 30 to May 16, 1964. It consisted of 17 stages covering a total of 2,860 km, and was won by Raymond Poulidor of the Mercier cycling team... |
Raymond Poulidor – Luis Otano |
| 35" | 1989 1989 Vuelta a España The 44th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 24 to May 15, 1989. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 3656 km, and was won by Pedro Delgado of the Reynolds cycling team.Pedro Delgado had won the previous Tour de France... |
Pedro Delgado – Fabio Parra |
Stage wins
14 riders have won 10 or more stages. Riders who are still active are indicated in bold.| Rank | Name | Country | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delio Rodríguez Delio Rodriguez Delio Rodríguez Barros was a Spanish professional road racing cyclist and sprinter. Despite winning 12 stages at the 1941 Vuelta and 8 stages at the 1942 Vuelta, Rodríguez failed to make the top five places in the overall standings... |
 Spain |
39 |
| 2 | Alessandro Petacchi Alessandro Petacchi Alessandro Petacchi is an Italian professional road racing cyclist for .A specialist sprinter, Petacchi has won 51 grand tour stages with wins of the points jersey in the Giro d'Italia in 2004, the Vuelta a España in 2005 and the Tour de France in 2010.In 2007 Alessandro was banned from cycling... |
 Italy |
20 |
| 3 | Laurent Jalabert Laurent Jalabert Laurent Jalabert is a French former professional road racing cyclist, from 1989 to 2002. Affectionately known as "Jaja" , he won many one-day and stage races and was ranked number 1 in the 1990s... |
 France |
18 |
| Rik Van Looy Rik Van Looy Henri van Looy is a Belgian former professional cyclist of the post-war period, nicknamed the King of the Classics or Emperor of Herentals... |
 Belgium |
18 | |
| 5 | Sean Kelly Seán Kelly (cyclist) John James 'Sean' Kelly is an Irish former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the most successful road cyclists of the 1980s, and one of the finest classics riders of all time. From turning professional in 1977 until his retirement in 1994, he won nine monument classics, and 193... |
 Republic of Ireland |
16 |
| 6 | Gerben Karstens Gerben Karstens Gerben Karstens is a former professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands, who won the gold medal in the 100 km team trial at the 1964 Summer Olympics, alongside Bart Zoet, Evert Dolman, and Jan Pieterse... |
 Netherlands |
14 |
| 7 | Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens Freddy Maertens is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist and twice World Road Race Champion.- Career :... |
Belgium |
13 |
| 8 | Marcel Wüst Marcel Wüst Marcel Wüst is a German former road bicycle racer. He won stages in all of the three Grand Tours; twelve stages in the Vuelta a España, one stage in the Tour de France and a stage in the Giro d'Italia. In 2000 a crash left him without sight in one eye and prematurely ended his professional career... |
 Germany |
12 |
| Tony Rominger Tony Rominger Tony Rominger is a Swiss former professional road racing cyclist who won the Vuelta a España in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and the Giro d'Italia in 1995.He began cycling late, allegedly spurred by competition with his brother... |
 Switzerland |
12 | |
| 10 | Domingo Perurena Domingo Perurena Domingo Perurena Telletxea is a Spanish former professional road racing cyclist. He is most famous for winning the overall classification in the Mountains classification of 1974 Tour de France. He also finished second overall of 1975 Vuelta a España and won a total of 12 stages in this... |
Spain |
11 |
| Julián Berrendero Julian Berrendero Julián Berrendero Martín was a Spanish road racing cyclist. He is most famous for having won the third and fourth editions of the Vuelta a España in 1941 and 1942... |
Spain |
11 | |
| Augustin Tamames Augustin Tamames Agustín Tamames Iglesias is a former Spanish road racing cyclist. In 1975, he won the overall title and five stages of the Vuelta a España... |
Spain |
11 | |
| 13 | Roberto Heras Roberto Heras Roberto Heras Hernández is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer who won the Vuelta a España a record-tying three times. He broke the record with a fourth win in 2005, but was disqualified for taking EPO. In June 2011, Heras successfully appealed the disqualification in the civil court... |
Spain |
10 |
| Eddy Planckaert Eddy Planckaert Eddy Planckaert is a former professional road racing cyclist from Belgium. In 1988, Planckaert enjoyed perhaps his best year by capturing the green jersey at the 1988 Tour de France and winning the Ronde van Vlaanderen... |
Belgium |
10 |
http://www.cyclinghalloffame.com/races/results/results_vuelta_a_espana.txt
Records
- Most Vuelta a España victories: Tony RomingerTony RomingerTony Rominger is a Swiss former professional road racing cyclist who won the Vuelta a España in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and the Giro d'Italia in 1995.He began cycling late, allegedly spurred by competition with his brother...
and Roberto HerasRoberto HerasRoberto Heras Hernández is a Spanish former professional road bicycle racer who won the Vuelta a España a record-tying three times. He broke the record with a fourth win in 2005, but was disqualified for taking EPO. In June 2011, Heras successfully appealed the disqualification in the civil court...
, 3 - Most Vuelta a España Stage wins: Delio RodriguezDelio RodriguezDelio Rodríguez Barros was a Spanish professional road racing cyclist and sprinter. Despite winning 12 stages at the 1941 Vuelta and 8 stages at the 1942 Vuelta, Rodríguez failed to make the top five places in the overall standings...
, 39 - Most stage wins in one edition: Freddy MaertensFreddy MaertensFreddy Maertens is a Belgian former professional racing cyclist and twice World Road Race Champion.- Career :...
in 19771977 Vuelta a EspañaThe 32nd Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 26 to May 15, 1977. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 2,785 km, and was won by Freddy Maertens of the Flandria cycling team. Maertens dominated the race and also won the...
, 13 - Most individual time trialIndividual time trialAn individual time trial is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock . There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials...
wins: Abraham OlanoÁbraham OlanoAbraham Olano Manzano is a Spanish Basque former professional road racing cyclist. His crowning achievement came in 1995 when he became World Road Champion...
, Alex ZülleAlex ZülleAlex Zülle is a Swiss former professional road bicycle racer. During the 1990s he was one of the best cyclists in the world, winning the Vuelta a España twice and taking the second place in 1999 Tour de France. He was world time-trial champion in Lugano in 1996.-Early career:Zülle was born and...
, Tony RomingerTony RomingerTony Rominger is a Swiss former professional road racing cyclist who won the Vuelta a España in 1992, 1993 and 1994 and the Giro d'Italia in 1995.He began cycling late, allegedly spurred by competition with his brother...
and Melcior Mauri, 6 - Most number of victories by country: SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, 28 - Most days as leader: Alex ZülleAlex ZülleAlex Zülle is a Swiss former professional road bicycle racer. During the 1990s he was one of the best cyclists in the world, winning the Vuelta a España twice and taking the second place in 1999 Tour de France. He was world time-trial champion in Lugano in 1996.-Early career:Zülle was born and...
, 48 - Most mountains classification victories: José Luis LaguíaJosé Luis LaguíaJosé Luis Laguía Martínez is a retired Spanish cyclist. A climber, he won a record five mountains classifications at the Vuelta a España during his career.-References:* at Cycling Archives**...
, 5 - Most points classification victories: Sean KellySeán Kelly (cyclist)John James 'Sean' Kelly is an Irish former professional road bicycle racer. He was one of the most successful road cyclists of the 1980s, and one of the finest classics riders of all time. From turning professional in 1977 until his retirement in 1994, he won nine monument classics, and 193...
and Laurent JalabertLaurent JalabertLaurent Jalabert is a French former professional road racing cyclist, from 1989 to 2002. Affectionately known as "Jaja" , he won many one-day and stage races and was ranked number 1 in the 1990s...
, 4 - Most number of intermediate sprints classification victories: Miguel Ángel Iglesias, 5
- Largest margin of victory: Delio RodriguezDelio RodriguezDelio Rodríguez Barros was a Spanish professional road racing cyclist and sprinter. Despite winning 12 stages at the 1941 Vuelta and 8 stages at the 1942 Vuelta, Rodríguez failed to make the top five places in the overall standings...
over Julián BerrenderoJulian BerrenderoJulián Berrendero Martín was a Spanish road racing cyclist. He is most famous for having won the third and fourth editions of the Vuelta a España in 1941 and 1942...
in 19451945 Vuelta a EspañaThe 5th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from May 10 to May 31, 1945. It consisted of 18 stages covering a total of 3,818 km, and was won by Delio Rodríguez. Rodríguez also won the points classification and Julián Berrendero won the...
, 30' 8" - Smallest margin of victory: Eric CaritouxÉric CaritouxÉric Caritoux is a French former professional road racing cyclist who raced between 1983 and 1994. He had 22 victories in his career, the highlights of which were winning the Vuelta a España in 1984 and taking the French road race championships in 1988 and 1989...
over Alberto FernándezAlberto Fernández (cyclist)Alberto Fernández Blanco was a Spanish road racing cyclist. His son Alberto Fernández Sainz is also a road racing cyclist....
in 19841984 Vuelta a EspañaThe 39th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 17 to May 6, 1984. It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 3,593 km, and was won by Éric Caritoux of the Skil-Sem cycling team...
, 6 seconds - Least number of participants: 19411941 Vuelta a EspañaThe 3rd Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from June 12 to July 6, 1941. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 4,409 km....
, 32 - Greatest number of participants: 20022002 Vuelta a EspañaThe 57th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from September 7 to September 29, 2002...
, 207 - Fastest average speed: 20012001 Vuelta a EspañaThe 56th Vuelta a España , a long-distance stage race and one of the 3 Grand Tours, was held from September 8 to September 30, 2001...
, 42.534 km/h - Slowest average speed: 19411941 Vuelta a EspañaThe 3rd Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from June 12 to July 6, 1941. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 4,409 km....
, 26.262 km/h - Longest edition: 19411941 Vuelta a EspañaThe 3rd Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from June 12 to July 6, 1941. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 4,409 km....
, 4,442 km - Shortest edition: 19631963 Vuelta a EspañaThe 18th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from May 1 to May 15, 1963. It consisted of 15 stages covering a total of , and was won by Jacques Anquetil of the St. Raphael-Gitane cycling team...
, 2,419 km
See also
- List of Vuelta a España winners
- Vuelta a España statistics
- Grand TourGrand Tour (cycling)In road bicycle racing, a Grand Tour refers to one of the three major European professional cycling stage races:* Tour de France – Tour of France , held in July* Giro d'Italia – Tour of Italy , held in May...
- Tour de FranceTour de FranceThe Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
- Giro d'ItaliaGiro d'ItaliaThe Giro d'Italia , also simply known as The Giro, is a long distance road bicycle racing stage race for professional cyclists held over three weeks in May/early June in and around Italy. The Giro is one of the three Grand Tours , and is part of the UCI World Ranking calendar...