Unlike the other two grand tours with a history started before the first world war, the first Vuelta a Espana was held in 1935. It was a spring race until the 1990s, right before (or sometimes almost at the same time as) the Giro d'Italia. Also, for almost two decades, it was really unpredictable, when the race will be held or not. It's little wonder, that many of the biggest stars of the first half or the middle of the 20th century never competed Vuelta.
But Fausto Coppi did. He participated the race in 1959 with his own Tricofilina-Coppi team and abandoned it only on the 15th stage (of a total of 17 stages).
The Vuelta was Coppi's penultimate race. A few weeks later he attended Giro di Toscana where he finished 11th.
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VUELTA HISTORY
Fausto Coppi and the Vuelta a España
Unlike the other two grand tours with a history started before the first world war, the first Vuelta a Espana was held in 1935. It was a spring race until the 1990s, right before (or sometimes almost at the same time as) the Giro d’Italia. Also, for almost two decades, it was really unpredictable, when … Read more
Vuelta winners: Gustaaf Deloor
Vuelta Ciclista a España (or just La Vuelta), the third three-week race of the road cycling season is also the youngest grand tour. The first edition was held in 1935. The race started on 29th April, included 14 stages and finished on the 15th of May. Only 50 cyclists entered the event and 29 finished. … Read more
5 facts about Vuelta a Espana 1945
For the first time in the history of Vuelta a Espana, the colour of the leader jersey was red. The 5th edition of Vuelta a Espana was organized by the newspaper Ya. From the 52 participants, 8 cyclists came from Portugal, all the others were Spaniards. Point classification, sponsored by Pirelly, was itroduced to the … Read more
When Delio Rodríguez won 12 of the 21 stages of Vuelta a España
Vuelta a Espana was not organized for several years after the first two editions in 1935 and 1936. The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) made it impossible. Thus the 3rd edition of the youngest grand tour was held between 12 June and 6 July in 1941. Middle in the Second World War (quick reminder: Operation Barbarossa, … Read more
5 facts of Vuelta a Espana 1942
The 4th Vuelta a España was held between 30 June and 19 July 1942 It was 3688 km long, divided into 17 stages. Belgian, French and Italian riders were invited despite the ongoing 2nd World War. The race was posponed by a week, because the foreign cyclists haven’t arrived in time. Julián Berrendero won the … Read more
CYCLING FUN FACTS
The youngest and the oldest Giro d’Italia stage winners
Olimpio Bizzi is the younges stage winner ever with19 years and 229 days.He won the 8th stage at Giro d’Italia 1936.Mark Cavendish was38 years and 7 daysold, when he crossed the finish line first in the last stage of Giro d’Italia 2023.
Double winners of Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix
Winners of both Ronde van Vlaanderen and Paris-Roubaix in the same year: Henri Suter 1923 Romain Gijssels 1932 Gaston Rebry 1934 Raymond Impanis 1954 Fred De Bruyne 1957 Rik Van Looy 1962 Roger De Vlaeminck 1977 Peter van Petegem 2003 Tom Boonen 2005 Fabian Cancellara 2010 Tom Boonen Belgium 2012 Fabian Cancellara 2013 Mathieu van … Read more
The slowest and the fastest Tour de France
You might wonder which Tour de France edition was the slowest and wich. one the fastest. Here you have the answer.The slowest Tour de Francewas the 13th edition, held between 29th June and 27 July in 1919. The 5560 km long route of the race was divided into 15 stages. (And it wasn’t even the … Read more
9 fun facts of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
The first edition (originally called Omloop van Vlaanderen) was held on 25 March 1945. It was only a few weeks after Belgium was liberated by the Aliied Forces, Jerome Stevens, journalist of the Het Volk newspaper, crewtor of the rsce had to have an approval of the British Army to hold the event. Jerome Stevens … Read more
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winners
List of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad winners 1945-20231945 Jean Bogaerts (Alcyon–Dunlop)1946 André Pieters (Alcyon–Dunlop)1947 Albert Sercu (Bertin–Wolber)1948 Sylvain Grysolle (Zircon)1949 André Declerck (Bertin–Wolber)1950 André Declerck (Bertin–Wolber)1951 Jean Bogaerts (Starnord–Wolber)1952 Ernest Sterckx (L’Avenir)1953 Ernest Sterckx (L’Avenir)1954 Karel De Baere (Mercier–BP–Hutchinson)1955 Lode Anthonis (L’Avenir)1956 Ernest Sterckx (L’Avenir)1957 Norbert Kerckhove (Faema–Guerra)1958 Joseph Planckaert (Carpano)1959 Seamus Elliott (Helyett–Fynsec)1960 No race1961 … Read more
MORE VINTAGE STORIES AND IMAGES
The grumpy cyclist with the broken bicycle – Giusto Cerutti at Tour de France 1928
Giusto Cerutti (1903-1993) had at least one bad day at the Tour de France in 1928.We don’t know much about the grumpy cyclist with the broken bicycle. But one thing is sure, he is the unlucky (anti)hero of one of the most searched vintage cycling images on the internet.According to ProCyclingStats, Cerutti abandoned the race … Read more
Climbing Col d’Allos at Tour de France 1914 -Vintage cycling image of the day
Tour de France 1914 started on the same day, 28th June, as the Austro-Hungarian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg were assassinated in Sarajevo. When the riders lined up in the middle of the nigh for the start of the first stage in Paris, they knew nothing about that this day … Read more
Georges Speicher at Paris-Roubaix 1935
Although Paris-Roubaix in 1936 was more important in the career of Tour de France winner (1933) cyclist Georges Speicher, one of the most popular funny vintage cycling images from the good old days of road cycling was taken one year earlier.Georges Speicher (1907-1978) was a French rider, the first cyclist who won Tour de France … Read more
Iconic Cycling Images: Bernard Thévenet after a crash (Tour de France 1972)
The race in 1972 was Bernard Thévenet’s second Tour de France. In his devutant year, in 1971 he finished fifth in the general classification and also won stage. It was a bit of a surprise performance, but in the subsequent year he was considered as one of the favourites. The 7th stage of Tour de France … Read more
Cyclists meet a local inhabitant during Tour de France 1925
During the first few decades in the history of Tour de France, mountain routes were kind of “terrae incognitae”, uncharted territories. We all know the story when Alphonse Steniès persuaded Henri Desgrange to include Tourmalet in the program of Tour de France 1910. He was struggling even to find a car driver, a local guide … Read more