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By Barry Boyce,
CyclingRevealed Historian
 Angelo Conterno
VaE April 26 - May 11, 1956 |
3,735 Km |
Starters: 90 |
Finishers: 40 |
Average Speed: 33.484 km/h x
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Closest Finish in Vuelta History
The popularity of the Vuelta a Espana began to expand in 1956. The big stars of professional cycling come to compete for the Vuelta Championship with an exceptionally talented field of Spanish riders.
Again, this year the Spanish team was experiencing internal problems. Team director Luis Puig structured the team with Miguel Poblet and Miguel Bover riding for stage wins, Federico Bahamontes and Jesus Lorono competing for the King of the Mountains, and Salvador Botella trying for General Classification (GC). The friction started when Lorono did not appreciate the director's choice. Jesus stated: "I beat Botella to the Grand Prix d'Eibar. I have more fitness and should be the team leader for the GC". The infighting would have a bearing on the final standings.
1956 Vuelta a Espana Race Raoute Details |
Teams:
The race was run with National Teams of France, Spain, Switzerland (with a mixed rider nation selection), Italy and Belgium, and an additional four regional Spanish teams. Each fielded ten cyclists, for a total of ninety.
National Teams
- Belgium
- Espana
- France
- Italy
- Suisse (Mixed)
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Spanish Regional Teams:
- Cantabria
- Centre-Sud
- Mediterranean
- Pyrenees
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Race Summary:
Stage 1: 203 km from Bilbao to Santander experienced ‘Belgian type' weather with cold temperatures, high wind, and even snow. Several major contenders including Emilio Rodriguez were hampered by the weather and lost valuable time on the stage. Belgian Rik Van Steenbergen welcomed the adverse weather and sprinted to the stage win. He earned the race leader's Amarillo Jersey.
Stage 2: The full drama began to unfold on second stage from Santander to Oviedo. Shortly after the start of the stage a 3-rider breakaway formed and began to build a solid time gap. Quickly Italian Angelo Conterno saw the opportunity and bridged up to the breakaway. The group steadily built the lead to 3'05” lead before Conterno again attacked his breakaway group. He managed to solo for the stage win. His time gain gave the Italian the race lead, but with seventeen stages to go none of the Spanish contenders seemed concerned.
Stage 15: Conterno battled to hold an eight second lead going into the final four stage. Federico Bahamontes was poised to attack the race leader in the mountains. Stage 15 from San Sebastian to Bilbao featured the brutal climb of the Urkiola. Bahamontes escaped the peloton and became the “race leader on the road.” The solo Bahamontes suffered a series of puncture and on the descent of the Urkiola Jesus Lorono with a tiring Conterno chased him down. Spanish riders were helping Conterno maintaining his fragile race lead.
Stage 16: The final opportunity came on a rain soaked sixteenth stage. Bahamontes was again on the attack. He suffered several more punctures and a hard crash. He lost 4 minutes on the lead group. His quest for the GC was over.
Jesus Lorono was the next challenger to attack. Over the final climb of the 1956 Vuelta, the Sollube, Lorono broke clear of Conterno. Now, an international coalition formed to help with the chase and save the Italian's race lead. The race officials penalized Conterno +30 seconds for a “minor rules” infraction, but Lorono's GC time gap at the end of Stage 16 was +43 seconds (after the penalty it became +13").
Stage 17: Angelo Conterno rode into Bilbao to claim a thirteen second Vuelta a Espana victory over Jesus Lorono.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1 Bilbao-Santander, 203 km |
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) |
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) |
Stage 2 Santander-Oviedo, 248 km |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 3 Oviedo-Valladolid, 175 km |
Miguel Poblet (Spa) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 4 Valladolid-Madrid, 212 km |
Claude Le Ber (Fra) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 5 Madrid-Albacete, 241 km |
Miguel Poblet (Spa) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 6 Albacete-Alicante, 227 km |
Miguel Poblet (Spa) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 7 Alicante-Valencia, 182 km |
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 8 Valencia-Tarragona, 249 km |
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 9 Tarragona-Barcelona, 163 km |
Hugo Koblet (Sui) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stg 10a Barcelona/Montjuich, 21 km TTT |
FRANCE |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 10b Barcelona-Tarrega, 112 km |
Gilbert Bauvin (Fra) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 11 Tarrega-Zaragoza, 238 km |
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 12 Zaragoza-Bayonne (Fra), 274 km |
Giancarlo Astrua (Spa) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 13a Bayonne (Fra)-Irun, 43 km ITT |
Claude Le Ber (Fra) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 13b Irun-Pamplona, 111 km |
Roger Walkowiak (Fra) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stg 14 Pamplona-San Sebastian, 195 km |
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 15 San Sebastian-Bilbao, 225 km |
Nino Defilippis (Ita) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 16 Bilbao-Vitoria, 207 km |
Benigno Azpuru (Spa) |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Stage 17 Vitoria-Bilbao, 190 km |
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) |
 Angelo Conterno (Ita)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
 Nino Defilippis (Ita)
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POINTS COMPETITION |
 Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel)
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General Classification:
Final General Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Time |
1 |
Angelo CONTERNO (Ita) |
Italy |
105h37'52" |
2 |
Jesus Lorono (Spa) |
Espana |
+13" |
3 |
Raymond Impanis (Bel) |
Belgium |
+1'54" |
4 |
Federico Bahamontes (Spa) |
Espana |
+3'27" |
5 |
Rik Van Steenbergen (Bel) |
Belgium |
+7'48" |
6 |
Miguel Chacon (Spa) |
Pyrenees |
+8'30" |
7 |
Gilbert Bauvin (Fra) |
France |
+19'18" |
8 |
Brian Robinson (GBr) |
Suisse-Mixed |
+20'36" |
9 |
Jose Serra (Spa) |
Pyrenees |
+23'38" |
10 |
Manuel Rodriguez (Spa) |
Cantabria |
+24'55" |
11 |
Emilio Rodriguez (Spa) |
Cantabria |
+26'44" |
12 |
Giancarlo Astrua (Ita) |
Italy |
+28'36" |
13 |
Giuseppe Buratti (Ita) |
Italy |
+29'29" |
14 |
Carmelo Morales (Spa) |
Cantabria |
+36'19" |
15 |
Cosme Barrutia (Spa) |
Cantabria |
+38'00" |
16 |
Hilaire Couvreur (Bel) |
Belgium |
+40'24" |
17 |
Juan Bibiloni (Spa) |
Mediterranean |
+40'26" |
18 |
Nino Defilippis (Ita) |
Italy |
+44'56" |
19 |
Arrigo Padovan (Ita) |
Italy |
+45'32" |
20 |
Antonio Barrutia (Spa) |
Espana |
+45'48" |
21 |
Rene Marigil (Spa) |
Espana |
+49'15" |
22 |
Edgar Sorgeloos (Bel) |
Belgium |
+51'41" |
23 |
Vicente Iturat (Spa) |
Pyrenees |
+55'52" |
24 |
Giovanni Pettinati (Ita) |
Italy |
+1h00'03" |
25 |
Remo Pianezzi (Sui) |
Suisse-Mixed |
+1h03'34" |
26 |
Adolfo Cruz (Spa) |
Cantabria |
+1h09'51" |
27 |
Nino Favero (Ita) |
Italy |
+1h12'02" |
28 |
Francisco Masip (Spa) |
Espana |
+1h17'28" |
29 |
Antonio Jimenez-Quilez (Spa) |
Centre-Sud |
+1h17'50" |
30 |
Rudi Theissen (Ger) |
Suisse-Mixed |
+1h26'23" |
31 |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Espana |
+1h29'51" |
32 |
Antonio Ferraz (Spa) |
Cantabria |
+1h31'57" |
33 |
Jesus Galdeano (Spa) |
Espana |
+1h41'26" |
34 |
Jose Escolano (Spa) |
Pyrenees |
+1h43'14" |
35 |
Giuliano Michelon (Ita) |
Italy |
+1h45'00" |
36 |
Francisco Moreno (Spa) |
Centre-Sud |
+1h49'20" |
37 |
Maurice Lampre (Fra) |
France |
+1h54'39" |
38 |
Mauro Gianneschi (Ita) |
Italy |
+2h02'27" |
39 |
Benigno Azpuru (Spa) |
Cantabria |
+2h07'27" |
40 |
Miguel Vidauretta (Spa) |
Cantabria |
+2h26'43" |
Final Mountains Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Nino DEFILIPPIS (Ita) |
Italy |
26 |
2 |
Federico Bahamontes (Spa) |
Espana |
19 |
3 |
Antonio Suarez (Spa) |
Centre-Sud |
17 |
4 |
Jesus Lorono (Spa) |
Espana |
15 |
5 |
Benigno Azpuru (Spa) |
Cantabria |
13 |
6 |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Italy |
11 |
Jean Dotto (Fra) |
France |
8 |
Rene Marigil (Spa) |
Espana |
6 |
9 |
Carmelo Morales (Spa) |
Cantabria |
5 |
10 |
Juan Bibiloni (Spa) |
Mediterranee |
4 |
11 |
Brian Robinson (GBr) |
Suisse-Mixed |
3 |
12 |
Miguel Chacon (Spa) |
Pyrenees |
2 |
Jose Serra (Spa) |
Pyrenees |
Manuel Rodriguez (Spa) |
Cantabria |
Giancarlo Astrua (Ita) |
Italy |
Vicente Iturat (Spa) |
Pyrenees |
Louis Bergaud (Fra) |
France |
18 |
Giuseppe Buratti (Ita) |
Italy |
1 |
Edgar Sorgeloos (Bel) |
Belgium |
Final Points Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Rik VAN STEENBERGEN (Bel) |
Belgium |
128 |
2 |
Gilbert Bauvin (Fra) |
France |
187 |
3 |
Angelo Conterno (Ita) |
Italy |
231 |
4 |
Federico Bahamontes (Spa) |
Espana |
295 |
5 |
Raymond Impanis (Bel) |
Belgium |
303 |
6 |
Jesus Lorono (Spa) |
Espana |
313 |
7 |
Brian Robinson (GBr) |
Suisse-Mixed |
343 |
8 |
Carmelo Morales (Spa) |
Cantabria |
373 |
9 |
Vicente Iturat (Spa) |
Pyrenees |
374 |
VaE 1955
VaE 1957
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