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By Barry Boyce,
CyclingRevealed Historian
 Antonio Suarez
VaE April 24 - May 10, 1959 |
3,033 Km |
Starters: 90 |
Finishers: 41 |
Average Speed: 35.858 km/h x
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A Very Animated Spanish Grand Tour
Organizers of the 14th edition of the Vuelta a Espana presented a major change in 1959. After the in-fighting of Spanish National team in 1958 the Vuelta organizers changed the race to a trade team format. Federico Bahamontes and Jesus Lorono were free of Nation Team duties and now able to race for themselves.
1959 Vuelta a Espana Race Raoute Details |
SPECIAL NOTE: Fausto Coppi, the best rider of his time, entered this edition of Vuelta a Espana. The Italian Campionissimo had won two Tours de France, five Giro d’Italia’s, one World Road Race Championship and was a holder of the World Hour Record on the track. However, the aging Italian was at the end of his brilliant career and rode passively, almost unnoticed during the fourteen stages before abandoning the race.
Teams:
- Boxing Club
- Faema Belgium
- Faema Espana
- Italy Mixed Team
- Kas
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- LICOR 43
- Peugeot-BP-Dunlop
- Portugal
- St Raphael-Geminiani-Dunlop
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Race Summary:
Stage 1 to 5: Bahamontes’ KAS teammate Antonio Karmany controlled the initial stages.
Stage 6: Karmany had solid control of the GC and had a 5'44” lead on Rik Van Looy (Bel) and 6'13” on Antonio Suarez (Spa).
Stage 7: The race began to unravel for the contenders on seventh stage from Alicante to Castillon. The lethargic pace of the peloton allowed a group of 11 riders to escape and gain considerable time (20+ minutes). Team Boxing's Antonio Barrutia (Spa) won the breakaway sprint for the stage win. The best place rider in the breakaway was Josef Vloebergh (Bel) and he earned the race lead. Karmany now trailed by 23'16", Bahamontes 24'11", Suarez 25'03", Rik Van Looy 27'08", Roger Riviere 28'30", and aging superstar Fausto Coppi 40'48". This was a disastrous stage for the contenders!
Stage 11: After an aggressive Stage 10, which saw Antonio Suarez gain 15 minutes on the race leader, Suarez attacked again on Stage 11. A six-rider breakaway formed and gained another 13'23” for Suarez. Rik Van Looy won the stage after two untimely punctures by talented Frenchman Roger Riviere. A late in the race time gain allowed Jose Segu to obtain the Amarillo Jersey, but Suarez was 3'20” behind in second place in the GC.
SPECIAL NOTE: To the disappointment of the Spanish fans Bahamontes abandoned the race on stage 11. This frustration turned to joy when Bahamontes became the first Spanish winner of the Tour de France!
Stage 14: The ultimate test came on the fourteenth stage Individual Time Trial. Roger Riviere won the stage easily but could only gain 1'54” on the Suarez. The Spaniard re-took the race lead.
Stage 17: The final stage around Bilbao presented a brutal profile with six categorized climbs. A tired Suarez, who lost 4'30” on stage 16, needed an exceptional effort to get the Vuelta victory. Over the first five climbs of the day Suarez matched every rival’s ‘pedal stroke for pedal stroke'. The GC was well in control for Suarez and the only thing left to be decided was the “Mountain” Classification. Belgian Richard Van Genechten held a 3-point lead over Antonio Karmany and a 4-point lead over Suarez with only the Category 1 climb of the Sollube remaining. Fernando Manzaneque, a Suarez teammate, chased an escaped group and brought the tired race leader to the top of the climb. A determined Suarez distanced Van Genechten and Karmany and scored enough points to also win the Mountain Classification.
In Bilbao Manzaneque won the final stage and helped Antonio Suarez achieve the 1959 Vuelta a Espana victory.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1a Madrid/Circ. Retiro, 9 km TTT |
SAINT RAPHAEL |
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Stage 1b Madrid-Toledo, 114 km |
Rik Van Looy (Bel) |
Rik Van Looy (Bel) |
Stage 2 Manzanares-Cordoba, 228 km |
Antonio Karmany (Spa) |
Antonio Karmany (Spa) |
Stage 3 Cordoba-Sevilla, 140 km |
Vicente Iturat (Spa) |
Antonio Karmany (Spa) |
Stage 4 Sevilla-Granada, 240 km |
Federico Bahamontes (Spa) |
Antonio Karmany (Spa) |
Stage 5 Guadix-Murcia, 225 km |
Antonio Suarez (Spa) |
Antonio Karmany (Spa) |
Stage 6 Murcia-Alicante, 173 km |
Gabriel Mas (Spa) |
Antonio Karmany (Spa) |
Stage 7 Alicante-Castellon, 233 km |
Antonio Barrutia (Spa) |
Josef Vloebergh (Bel) |
Stage 8 Castellon-Tortosa, 130 km |
Rik Van Looy (Bel) |
Pierre Everaert (Fra) |
Stage 9 Tortosa-Barcelona, 196 km |
Rik Van Looy (Bel) |
Pierre Everaert (Fra) |
Stage 10 GranolLers-Lerida, 183 km |
Antonio Suarez (Spa) |
Pierre Everaert (Fra) |
Stage 11 Lerida-Pamplona, 242 km |
Rik Van Looy (Bel) |
Jose Segu (Spa) |
Stage 12 Pamplona-San Sebastian, 210 km |
Jose Sousa-Cardoso (Spa) |
Jose Segu (Spa) |
Stage 13 San Sebastian, 9 km TTT |
SAINT-RAPHAEL |
Jose Segu (Spa) |
Stage 14 Eibar-Vitoria, 62 km ITT |
Roger Riviere (Fra) |
Antonio Suarez (Spa) |
Stage 15 Vitoria-Santander, 230 km |
Julio San Emeterio (Spa) |
Antonio Suarez (Spa) |
Stage 16 Santander-Bilbao, 187 km |
Roger Riviere (Fra) |
Antonio Suarez (Spa) |
Stage 17 Bilbao-Bilbao, 222 km |
Fernando Manzaneque (Spa) |
 Antonio Suarez (Spa)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
 Antonio Suarez (Spa)
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POINTS COMPETITION |
 Rik Van Looy (Bel)
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General Classification:
Final General Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Time |
1 |
Antonio SUAREZ (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
84h36'20" |
2 |
Jose Segu (Spa) |
Kas |
1'06" |
3 |
Rik Van Looy (Bel) (Bel) |
Faema Belgium |
7'00" |
4 |
Pierre Everaert (Fra) |
St Raphael-Geminiani-Dunlop |
7'44" |
5 |
Emmanuel Busto (Fra) |
Peugeot-BP-Dunlop |
16'29" |
6 |
Roger Riviere (Fra) |
St Raphael-Geminiani-Dunlop |
17'30" |
7 |
Hilaire Couvreur (Bel) |
Faema Belgium |
24'24" |
8 |
Luis Otano (Spa) |
Peugeot-BP-Dunlop |
26'34" |
9 |
Josef Vloebergh (Bel) |
Faema Belgium |
27'17" |
10 |
Jesus Galdeano (Spa) |
Faema Espana |
29'40" |
11 |
Marcel Rohrbach (Fra) |
Peugeot-BP-Dunlop |
30'37" |
12 |
Rene Marigil (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
34'03" |
13 |
Juan Campillo (Spa) |
Faema Espana |
34'09" |
14 |
Franz Van Loeveren (Bel) |
Faema Belgium |
41'41" |
15 |
Hans Junkermann (Ger) |
Faema Belgium |
45'39" |
16 |
Jose-Luis Talamillo (Spa) |
Boxing Club |
48'40" |
17 |
Guido Boni (Ita) |
Italy |
49'06" |
18 |
Jesus Lorono (Spa) |
Faema Espana |
49'37" |
19 |
Claude Colette (Fra) |
Peugeot-BP-Dunlop |
51'56" |
20 |
Julio San Emeterio (Spa) |
Kas |
52'14" |
21 |
Andres Trobat (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
1h02'01" |
22 |
Antonio Karmany (Spa) |
Kas |
1h02'16" |
23 |
Gabriel Company (Spa) |
Faema Espana |
1h06'05" |
24 |
Salvador Botella (Spa) |
Faema Espana |
1h07'50" |
25 |
Fernando Manzaneque (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
1h10'17" |
26 |
Richard Van Genechten (Bel) |
Peugeot-BP-Dunlop |
1h13'59" |
27 |
Benigno Azpuru (Spa) |
Kas |
1h21'42" |
28 |
Juan Bibiloni (Spa) |
Boxing Club |
1h29'31" |
29 |
Antonio Bertran (Spa) |
Faema Espana |
1h38'14" |
30 |
Emilio Cruz (Spa) |
Kas |
1h39'21" |
31 |
Jose Sousa Cardoso (Por) |
Portugal |
1h46'06" |
32 |
Jesus Davoz (Spa) |
Boxing Club |
1h49'20" |
33 |
Mario Bertolo (Fra) |
Peugeot-BP-Dunlop |
1h58'34" |
34 |
Antonio Jimenez-Quiles (Spa) |
Kas |
2h00'12" |
35 |
Manuel Martin-Pinera (Spa) |
Kas |
2h11'01" |
36 |
Jose Herrero-Berrendero (Spa) |
Kas |
2h11'29" |
37 |
Joaquin Barcelo (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
2h22'14" |
38 |
Vicente Iturat (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
2h22'40" |
39 |
Gabriel Mas (Spa) |
Faema Espana |
2h24'07" |
40 |
Miguel Bover (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
2h29'07" |
41 |
Antonio Ferraz (Spa) |
Boxing Club |
2h59'38" |
Final Mountains Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Antonio SUAREZ (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
58 |
2 |
Richard Van Genechten (Bel) |
Peugeot-BP-Dunlop |
56 |
3 |
Antonio Karmany (Spa) |
Kas |
54 |
4 |
Roger Riviere (Fra) |
St Raphael-Geminiani-Dunlop |
28 |
5 |
Jose Sousa Cardoso (Por) |
Portugal |
26 |
6 |
Fernando Manzaneque (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
24 |
7 |
Jose Segu (Spa) |
Kas |
21 |
8 |
Juan Campillo (Spa) |
Faema Espana |
19 |
9 |
Julio San Emeterio (Spa) |
Kas |
19 |
10 |
Luis Otano (Spa) |
Peugeot-BP-Dunlop |
18 |
Final Points Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Rik VAN LOOY (Bel) |
Faema Belgium |
148 |
2 |
Antonio Suarez (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
179 |
3 |
Frans Van Looveren (Bel) |
Faema Belgium |
253 |
4 |
Jose Segu (Spa) |
Kas |
277 |
5 |
Roger Riviere (Fra) |
St Raphael-Geminiani-Dunlop |
287 |
VaE 1958
VaE 1960
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