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By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian
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Return of a Grand Event
After a 4-year interruption in the schedule of this Grand event, the 1955 Vuelta a Espana returned under the new direction of Bilboa's leading newspaper 'El Correo Español-El Pueblo Vasco'. The 10th edition will mark the beginning of the resurgence of the Vuelta. Slowly over time the race organization will lift the Vuelta to a level equal to the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France. The VaE will become one of the Big 3 Grand National Tours.
For the return edition the organizers designed a shorter race route covering 2,776 km over 15 stages and transferred the organization to the Basque Country in Bilbao. The departure and finish of the race became Bilboa. This emphasis established this area as the capital of the Spanish cyclisme.
The fierce fight for the General Classification began on Stage 1, which included the ascension of 4 mountain-passes (Puerto de Altube, Elgeta, Azcarate, and Vidania). Gilbert Bauvin (Fra) launched an attack and escaped the peloton. At the finish in San Sebastian Gilbert Bauvin's breakaway succeeded, but the time gain was only 34 second on second place and 1'18” on the peloton.
The Puerto de Velata on Stage 3 doomed the French leader. A 5-rider breakaway, Antonio Gelabert (Spa), Raphael Geminiani (Fra), Jesus Lorono (Spa), Gabriel Company (Spa) and Giuseppe Buratti (Ita), rode away from the tiring race leader. Bauvin lost over 5 minutes and handed the race leader's jersey to Jesus Lorono.
Lorono, under continued attacks on Stage 4, relinquished the race lead to Frenchman Raphael Geminiani. This was the beginning of a confusing time in the race. The French National team destroyed the peloton on Stage 5 as small groups formed. The relentless French attacks send the Spanish teams into a tailspin. After the stage Spanish team director Julian Berrendero faced critical questions about his race tactics and team members began to quarrel.
Geminiani remained in control of the race until Stage 8, when the Spanish managed to mount an attack of their own. Four riders, Rene Marigil (Spa-Levant), Vicente Iturat (Spa-Catalogne), Louis Caput (Fra-France Sud-Est), and Mario Baroni (Ita-Italia A), escape the peloton to win the stage and gain over 12 minutes on the race leader. Young Spanish regional rider Rene Marigil (Spa-Levant) retook the race leader's jersey for Spain .
The homogenous French team battle back on Stage 10. Jean Dotto (Fra) broke away with 3 others and finished 3rd on the stage, but gained enough time to reclaim the race lead for France . The lead would not change hands again.
Jean Dotto rode into Bilboa to become the first French winner of the Vuelta a Espana. Italian Fiorenzo Magni (Italia A) won the Points Classification and fellow countryman Giuseppe Buratti (Italia B) took the climbing prize.
| Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1 Bilbao-San Sebastian, 240 km |
Gilbert Bauvin (Fra) |
Gilbert Bauvin (Fra) |
Stage 2 San Sebastian-Bayonne, 211 km |
Gilbert Bauvin (Fra) |
Gilbert Bauvin (Fra) |
Stage 3 Bayonne-Pamplona, 157 km |
Antonio Gelabert (Spa) |
Jesus Lorono (Spa) |
Stage 4 Pamplona-Zaragoza, 229 km |
Jesus Galdeano (Spa) |
Jesus Lorono (Spa) |
Stage 5 Zaragoza-Lerida, 195 km |
Gabriel Company (Spa) |
Raphael Geminiani (Fra) |
Stage 6 Lerida-Barcelona, 230 km |
Pierino Baffi (Ita) |
Raphael Geminiani (Fra) |
Stage 7 Barcelona/Montjuich, 29 km ITT |
Fiorenzo Magni (Ita) |
Raphael Geminiani (Fra) |
Stage 8 Barcelona-Tortosa, 213 km |
Vicente Iturat (Spa) |
Rene Marigil (Spa) |
Stage 9 Tortosa-Valencia, 190 km |
Pierino Baffi (Ita) |
Rene Marigil (Spa) |
Stage 10 Valencia-Cuenca, 222 km |
Antonio Uliana (Ita) |
Jean Dotto (Fra) |
Stage 11 Cuenca-Madrid, 168 km |
Donato Piazza (Ita) |
Jean Dotto (Fra) |
Stage 12 Madrid 15 km TTT |
ITALY |
Jean Dotto (Fra) |
Stage 13 Madrid-Valladolid, 222 km |
Fiorenzo Magni (Ita) |
Jean Dotto (Fra) |
Stage 14 Valladolid-Bilbao, 308 km |
Donato Piazza (Ita) |
Jean Dotto (Fra) |
Stg 15 Bilbao/Circuito Santo Domingo , 147 km |
Fiorenzo Magni (Ita) |
 Jean Dotto (Fra)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
Giuseppe Buratti (Ita) |
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POINTS COMPETITION |
Fiorenzo Magni (Ita) |
| VaE April 23 - May 8, 1955 |
| 2,776 Km |
1.
Jean DOTTO (Fra) 81h04'02" |
2.
Antonio Jimenez-Quilez (Spa) +3'06" |
3.
Raphael Geminiani (Fra) +5'05" |
Starters: 106 |
Finishers: 63 |
Average Speed: 34.232 km/h |
VaE 1950
VaE 1956
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10th Vuelta a Espana 1955
