Luis Ocaña
Encyclopedia
Jesús Luis Ocaña Pernía (9 June 1945 – 19 May 1994) was a Spanish
road bicycle racer who won the Tour de France
in 1973 and the Vuelta a España
in 1970.
, Cuenca
, Spain
but his family moved to Mont-de-Marsan
(Landes, France
) in 1957. Ocaña took up racing in with a club in Mont-de-Marsan and began his professional career in 1968 with the Spanish
Fagor team, becoming Spanish champion that year. The following year he won the prologue and two time trials, the mountains classification as well as finishing second in the Vuelta a España
.
In 1970, Ocaña signed with the French
team Bic. In the 1970 Vuelta a España
, he battled with Augustín Tamames
, losing the leader's jersey to him on the 13th stage. Ocaña time-trialled back into the jersey on the final day and won his first Grand Tour with one minute and 18 seconds over Tamames. The Spanish newspaper Dicen said Ocaña was "the best time-trialist that Spanish cycling has ever had". In the 1970 Tour de France
, Ocaña won the stage to Puy-de-Dôme
and finished 31st in the Tour.
in Paris–Nice and second behind Merckx in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré.On the uphill finish of stage eight with four kilometres to go, Ocaña launched the decisive move and broke away from the favourites for that year's Tour which included Merckx. He succeeded in a 15-second gain on Merckx but built on that the following day. Then on stage 11 Ocaña rode himself into the yellow jersey with eight minutes over Merckx.
After a rest day, Merckx cut that lead to 7 minutes and in the Pyrenees
on the Col de Menté
, Merckx attacked as he descended the mountain. Merckx lost control and skidded into a low wall . Ocaña could not avoid Merckx and fell himself. Merckx was up quickly and sped away. Ocaña struggled to release his cleats from the toe clips and was struck by the pursuing Joop Zoetemelk
. The Maillot Jaune lay on the ground screaming with pain. He was taken by helicopter to the hospital in Saint-Gaudens. He recovered but his 1971 Tour dreams had come to an end. The following day Merckx refused to wear the yellow jersey, in tribute to Ocaña. There is a memorial at the scene of the accident on the eastern side of the Col de Menté in the Pyrenees.
The following year, 1972, Merckx had intended on not participating in the 1972 Tour de France
in order to ride the Vuelta a España
for the first time, but due to critics saying that Merckx only won the Tour because of Ocaña's fall, Merckx decided to ride. There was speculation of a duel. Ocaña had won the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré and the national championship. In the Pyrenees, Ocaña repeatedly attacked Merckx without success. He withdrew with bronchitis.
In 1973, Merckx decided to ride the Vuelta a España
and Giro d'Italia
. It was the first time that Merckx contested the Vuelta a España
and that year he would not be contesting the Tour de France. Ocaña battled Merckx in the race with Bernard Thevenet
also present. In the end Ocaña finished second almost 4 minutes behind Merckx.
and Raymond Poulidor
for the podium. Indeed Zoetemelk and Poulidor had finished first and second after the prologue while Ocaña crashed during the first stage when a dog ran into the peloton. However on the third stage, Ocaña and his team distanced his rivals. The stage began in Roubaix
and when the peloton went over cobblestones at Querenaing, Ocaña and four teammates together with six others attacked and got five minutes at one point, although the chasing group reduced this to two and a half minutes at the finish. However Fuente finished seven minutes back.
Ocaña won the first mountain stage and took the maillot jaune while Thévenet won the second mountain stage. L'Equipe
newspaper predicted a duel. However on the third mountain stage, Ocaña delivered a crushing defeat to his rivals. Fuente attacked early on the Col du Télégraphe
and a group of favourites was established. On the following climb, the Col du Galibier
Ocaña led. After the descent Ocaña and Fuente had a minute on Thévenet while the next group were five minutes and 30 seconds behind. Fuente got a flat tyre and Ocaña won with 52 seconds over Fuente, almost seven minutes over Thévenet and Martinez and 20 minutes and 24 seconds over Zoetemelk, Van Impe and Poulidor. Ocaña then led the general classification
by nine minutes over Fuente, ten minutes on Thevénet with Zoetemelk fifth over 23 minutes behind. Ocaña won the stage 12 time trial. A duel in the Pyrenees was expected between Ocaña and Fuente but Ocaña won the longest stage in the Pyrenees. L'Equipe had the headline Ocaña apuie sur l'accélérateur translated as Ocaña steps on the accelerator. Ocaña won the last individual time trial and also the mountain stage to Puy-de-Dôme
eventually winning the race with 15 minutes over Bernard Thévenet
. He also won the combativity award
. After his win, Ocaña declared that after the 1974 Tour de France
, he wanted to try the hour record.
, won by Fuente. Ocaña was unable to defend his Tour de France
win in 1974 due to an injury sustained during the Midi-Libre. He finished again in the 1975 Vuelta a España. In 1976, he was back to top form and finished third in Paris–Nice and second overall in the Vuelta a España
, a minute behind José Pesarrodona.
Ocaña retired at the end of 1977 after finishing 25th in the 1975 Tour de France
. He had won 110 races including nine stages of the Tour de France. He retired to his vineyard in 1977. It is said that despite their rivalry on the road , Merckx organised for a Belgian distributor to order a sizeable quantity of wine from Ocaña's ailing vineyard.
Ocaña committed suicide, in Nogaro
, Gers
, France
by gunshot in 1994. It is said he was depressed over financial matters and was also suffering a hepatitis C
infection and cancer.
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
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...
road bicycle racer who won the Tour de France
Tour 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...
in 1973 and the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España 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...
in 1970.
Early professional career
Ocaña was born in PriegoPriego
Priego is a municipality located in the province of Cuenca, Castile-La Mancha, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 1,052 inhabitants....
, Cuenca
Cuenca (province)
Cuenca is a province of central Spain, in the eastern part of the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha.-Guide to the area:Located in a natural setting of beauty, the Old Town of Cuenca occupies a superb site between two river gorges. Famous are its 15th Century "hanging houses" , that appear...
, 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...
but his family moved to Mont-de-Marsan
Mont-de-Marsan
Mont-de-Marsan is a commune and capital of the Landes department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Mont-de-Marsan airbase « Constantin Rozanoff » is a major installation of the French Air Force. The base includes CEAM , an air defense radar command reporting centre, and an air defence control...
(Landes, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
) in 1957. Ocaña took up racing in with a club in Mont-de-Marsan and began his professional career in 1968 with the Spanish
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...
Fagor team, becoming Spanish champion that year. The following year he won the prologue and two time trials, the mountains classification as well as finishing second in the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España 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...
.
In 1970, Ocaña signed with the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
team Bic. In the 1970 Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España 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...
, he battled with Augustín 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...
, losing the leader's jersey to him on the 13th stage. Ocaña time-trialled back into the jersey on the final day and won his first Grand Tour with one minute and 18 seconds over Tamames. The Spanish newspaper Dicen said Ocaña was "the best time-trialist that Spanish cycling has ever had". In the 1970 Tour de France
1970 Tour de France
The 1970 Tour de France was the 57th Tour de France, taking place June 27 to July 19, 1970. It consisted of 23 stages over 4366 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.589 km/h....
, Ocaña won the stage to Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme (mountain)
Puy de Dôme is a large lava dome and one of the youngest volcanoes in the Chaîne des Puys region of Massif Central in south-central France. This chain of volcanoes including numerous cinder cones, lava domes, and maars is located far from the edge of any tectonic plate. Puy de Dôme is located...
and finished 31st in the Tour.
1971 Tour de France
Before the Tour de France, Ocaña finished third behind Eddy MerckxEddy 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 Paris–Nice and second behind Merckx in the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré.On the uphill finish of stage eight with four kilometres to go, Ocaña launched the decisive move and broke away from the favourites for that year's Tour which included Merckx. He succeeded in a 15-second gain on Merckx but built on that the following day. Then on stage 11 Ocaña rode himself into the yellow jersey with eight minutes over Merckx.
After a rest day, Merckx cut that lead to 7 minutes and in the Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
on the Col de Menté
Col de Menté
The Col de Menté is a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees in the department of Haute-Garonne in France. It is situated on the D44 road between Saint-Béat and the D618...
, Merckx attacked as he descended the mountain. Merckx lost control and skidded into a low wall . Ocaña could not avoid Merckx and fell himself. Merckx was up quickly and sped away. Ocaña struggled to release his cleats from the toe clips and was struck by the pursuing Joop Zoetemelk
Joop Zoetemelk
Hendrik Gerardus Jozef "Joop" Zoetemelk is a retired professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands who has emigrated to France. He started the Tour de France 16 times and finished every time, a record. He won the race in 1980 and also came eighth, fifth, fourth and second...
. The Maillot Jaune lay on the ground screaming with pain. He was taken by helicopter to the hospital in Saint-Gaudens. He recovered but his 1971 Tour dreams had come to an end. The following day Merckx refused to wear the yellow jersey, in tribute to Ocaña. There is a memorial at the scene of the accident on the eastern side of the Col de Menté in the Pyrenees.
The following year, 1972, Merckx had intended on not participating in the 1972 Tour de France
1972 Tour de France
The 1972 Tour de France was the 59th Tour de France, taking place July 1 to July 22, 1972. It consisted of 20 stages over 3846.6 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.371 km/h. The long awaited clash between Eddy Merckx and Luis Ocaña after Ocaña crashed on Col de Menté in the 1971 Tour de...
in order to ride the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España 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...
for the first time, but due to critics saying that Merckx only won the Tour because of Ocaña's fall, Merckx decided to ride. There was speculation of a duel. Ocaña had won the Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré and the national championship. In the Pyrenees, Ocaña repeatedly attacked Merckx without success. He withdrew with bronchitis.
In 1973, Merckx decided to ride the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España 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...
and 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...
. It was the first time that Merckx contested the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España 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...
and that year he would not be contesting the Tour de France. Ocaña battled Merckx in the race with Bernard Thevenet
Bernard Thévenet
Bernard Thévenet, born 10 January 1948, in Saint-Julien-de-Civry, Saône-et-Loire, is a retired French bicycle racer. He is a two-time winner of the Tour de France and known for ending the reign of five-time Tour champion Eddy Merckx...
also present. In the end Ocaña finished second almost 4 minutes behind Merckx.
1973 Tour de France
Because Ocaña had only finished one out of the four previous editions of the Tour de France that he had started, he was not considered a favourite for overall victory. Merckx, who was not competing, had picked José Manuel Fuente, Joop ZoetemelkJoop Zoetemelk
Hendrik Gerardus Jozef "Joop" Zoetemelk is a retired professional racing cyclist from the Netherlands who has emigrated to France. He started the Tour de France 16 times and finished every time, a record. He won the race in 1980 and also came eighth, fifth, fourth and second...
and Raymond Poulidor
Raymond Poulidor
Raymond Poulidor , is a former professional bicycle racer. He was known as the eternal second, because he finished the Tour de France in second place three times, and in third place five times, including his final Tour at the age of 40...
for the podium. Indeed Zoetemelk and Poulidor had finished first and second after the prologue while Ocaña crashed during the first stage when a dog ran into the peloton. However on the third stage, Ocaña and his team distanced his rivals. The stage began in Roubaix
Roubaix
Roubaix is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is located between the cities of Lille and Tourcoing.The Gare de Roubaix railway station offers connections to Lille, Tourcoing, Antwerp, Ostend and Paris.-Culture:...
and when the peloton went over cobblestones at Querenaing, Ocaña and four teammates together with six others attacked and got five minutes at one point, although the chasing group reduced this to two and a half minutes at the finish. However Fuente finished seven minutes back.
Ocaña won the first mountain stage and took the maillot jaune while Thévenet won the second mountain stage. L'Equipe
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...
newspaper predicted a duel. However on the third mountain stage, Ocaña delivered a crushing defeat to his rivals. Fuente attacked early on the Col du Télégraphe
Col du Télégraphe
Col du Télégraphe is a mountain pass in the French Alps situated above the Maurienne valley between the eastern end of the massif d'Arvan-Villards and the massif des Cerces....
and a group of favourites was established. On the following climb, the Col du Galibier
Col du Galibier
Col du Galibier is a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Dauphiné Alps near Grenoble. It is the ninth highest paved road in the Alps and the sixth highest mountain pass. It is often the highest point of the Tour de France....
Ocaña led. After the descent Ocaña and Fuente had a minute on Thévenet while the next group were five minutes and 30 seconds behind. Fuente got a flat tyre and Ocaña won with 52 seconds over Fuente, almost seven minutes over Thévenet and Martinez and 20 minutes and 24 seconds over Zoetemelk, Van Impe and Poulidor. Ocaña then led the general classification
General Classification
The general classification in bicycle racing is the category that tracks overall times for bicycle riders in multi-stage bicycle races...
by nine minutes over Fuente, ten minutes on Thevénet with Zoetemelk fifth over 23 minutes behind. Ocaña won the stage 12 time trial. A duel in the Pyrenees was expected between Ocaña and Fuente but Ocaña won the longest stage in the Pyrenees. L'Equipe had the headline Ocaña apuie sur l'accélérateur translated as Ocaña steps on the accelerator. Ocaña won the last individual time trial and also the mountain stage to Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme (mountain)
Puy de Dôme is a large lava dome and one of the youngest volcanoes in the Chaîne des Puys region of Massif Central in south-central France. This chain of volcanoes including numerous cinder cones, lava domes, and maars is located far from the edge of any tectonic plate. Puy de Dôme is located...
eventually winning the race with 15 minutes over Bernard Thévenet
Bernard Thévenet
Bernard Thévenet, born 10 January 1948, in Saint-Julien-de-Civry, Saône-et-Loire, is a retired French bicycle racer. He is a two-time winner of the Tour de France and known for ending the reign of five-time Tour champion Eddy Merckx...
. He also won the combativity award
Combativity award
The combativity award, , is a prize given in the Tour de France. It favours constant attackers and since 1981 the winner of the award has not won the whole Tour.- History :...
. After his win, Ocaña declared that after the 1974 Tour de France
1974 Tour de France
The 1974 Tour de France was the 61st Tour de France, taking place June 27 to July 21, 1974. It consisted of 22 stages over 4098 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.241 km/h...
, he wanted to try the hour record.
Post-Tour career
After his win in the Tour de France, Ocaña finished third and won the bronze medal in the world championship road race. He also won the Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco in 1973 and finished fourth in the 1974 Vuelta a EspañaVuelta a España
The Vuelta a España 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...
, won by Fuente. Ocaña was unable to defend his Tour de France
Tour 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...
win in 1974 due to an injury sustained during the Midi-Libre. He finished again in the 1975 Vuelta a España. In 1976, he was back to top form and finished third in Paris–Nice and second overall in the Vuelta a España
Vuelta a España
The Vuelta a España 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...
, a minute behind José Pesarrodona.
Ocaña retired at the end of 1977 after finishing 25th in the 1975 Tour de France
1975 Tour de France
The 1975 Tour de France was the 62nd Tour de France, taking place June 26 to July 20, 1975. It consisted of 22 stages over 3999 km, ridden at an average speed of 34.899 km/h. Eddy Merckx was attempting to win his sixth Tour de France, but became a victim of violence. Many Frenchmen were...
. He had won 110 races including nine stages of the Tour de France. He retired to his vineyard in 1977. It is said that despite their rivalry on the road , Merckx organised for a Belgian distributor to order a sizeable quantity of wine from Ocaña's ailing vineyard.
Ocaña committed suicide, in Nogaro
Nogaro
Nogaro is a commune in the Gers department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, Gers
Gers
The Gers is a department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in the southwest of France named after the Gers River.Inhabitants are called les Gersois or Gersoises.-History:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
by gunshot in 1994. It is said he was depressed over financial matters and was also suffering a hepatitis C
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease primarily affecting the liver, caused by the hepatitis C virus . The infection is often asymptomatic, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years...
infection and cancer.
Major successes
1968
Spanish National Road Race ChampionshipSpanish National Road Race ChampionshipThe Spanish National Road Race Championships are held annually to decide the Spanish cycling champions in the road race discipline, across various categories. The event was first held in 1897 and was won by a Portuguese rider, José Pesoa.- Men :- Women :...
1969
- Grand Prix du Midi LibreGrand Prix du Midi LibreThe Grand Prix du Midi Libre was a multiple-stage cycling course in the south of France. The race, named after the newspaper that organized it, was first organized in 1949 and was an important preparation courses for the Tour de France...
- Vuelta a La RiojaVuelta a La RiojaThe Vuelta a La Rioja is a regional Spanish road bicycle race held in La Rioja. Since 2005, it has been a 2.1 category race on the UCI Europe Tour.The event is facing financial challenges in 2009. Wrote velonews.com:...
- Vuelta a España1969 Vuelta a EspañaThe 24th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 23 to May 11, 1969. It consisted of 18 stages covering a total of 2,921.4 km, and was won by Roger Pingeon of the Peugeot cycling team...
:- Winner stages 1A, 16 and 18B
- 2nd place overall classification
- Winner mountains classification
- Setmana Catalana de CiclismeSetmana Catalana de CiclismeThe Catalan Cycling Week was an important multi-stage road bicycle race held in Catalonia, Spain. It was last organised in 2005 as a 2.HC race on the UCI Europe Tour...
1970
- Vuelta a España1970 Vuelta a EspañaThe 1970 Vuelta a España was the 25th Vuelta a España, taking place from April 23 to May 12, 1970. It consisted of 19 stages over 3568 km, ridden at an average speed of 39.85 km/h...
:- Winner prologue and stage 19
Winner overall classification
- Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
- Tour de France1970 Tour de FranceThe 1970 Tour de France was the 57th Tour de France, taking place June 27 to July 19, 1970. It consisted of 23 stages over 4366 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.589 km/h....
:- Winner stage 17
1971
- Grand Prix des NationsGrand Prix des NationsThe Grand Prix des Nations was an individual time trial for professional racing cyclists. Held annually in France, it was instituted in 1932 and often regarded as the unofficial time trial championship of the world and as a Classic cycle race. The race was the idea of a Parisian newspaper editor...
- Vuelta al País Vasco
- Vuelta a España1971 Vuelta a EspañaThe 26th Vuelta a España , a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from April 29 to May 16, 1971. It consisted of 17 stages covering a total of 2,892 km, and was won by Ferdinand Bracke of the Peugeot cycling team...
:- Winner stage 12
- 3rd place overall classification
- Tour de France1971 Tour de FranceThe 1971 Tour de France was the 58th Tour de France, taking place June 26 to July 18, 1971. It consisted of 22 stages over , ridden at an average speed of ....
:- Winner stages 8 and 11
- Trofeo BaracchiTrofeo BaracchiThe Trofeo Baracchi was a major Italian cycling race that ran for 50 years. It was created by Mino Baracchi, in memory of his father Angelo who was a great cycle racing fan. Originally an amateur individual time trial, from 1944 it was open to professionals and became a major event on the...
(with Leif MortensenLeif MortensenLeif Mortensen is a Danish former professional road bicycle racer.- Palmarès :196719681969...
) - Volta a Catalunya
1972
- Spanish National Road Race ChampionshipSpanish National Road Race ChampionshipThe Spanish National Road Race Championships are held annually to decide the Spanish cycling champions in the road race discipline, across various categories. The event was first held in 1897 and was won by a Portuguese rider, José Pesoa.- Men :- Women :...
- Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
1973
- Tour de France1973 Tour de FranceThe 1973 Tour de France was the 60th Tour de France, taking place June 30 to July 22, 1973. It consisted of 20 stages over 4140.4 km, ridden at an average speed of 33.918 km/h. After winning the 1973 Vuelta a España and the 1973 Giro d'Italia, Eddy Merckx did not participate in the Tour...
:
Winner overall classification- Winner stages 7A, 8, 12A, 13, 18 and 20A
- Winner Combativity awardCombativity awardThe combativity award, , is a prize given in the Tour de France. It favours constant attackers and since 1981 the winner of the award has not won the whole Tour.- History :...
- Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré
- Vuelta al País Vasco
- Vuelta a España1973 Vuelta a EspañaThe 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...
:- 2nd place overall classification
- Trophée des GrimpeursTrophée des GrimpeursThe Trophée des Grimpeurs, called Polymultipliée until 1970, is a single-day road bicycle race held annually in August in the region of Val-d'Oise, France, between Argenteuil and Sannois. Between 1980 and 2002 it was a criterium...
Grand Tour results timeline
| 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | 1972 | 1973 | 1974 | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tour Tour 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... |
DNE | DNF-8B 1969 Tour de France The 1969 Tour de France was the 56th Tour de France, taking place June 28 to July 20, 1969. It consisted of 22 stages over 4110 km , ridden at an average speed of 35.409 km/h... |
31 1970 Tour de France The 1970 Tour de France was the 57th Tour de France, taking place June 27 to July 19, 1970. It consisted of 23 stages over 4366 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.589 km/h.... |
DNF-14 1971 Tour de France The 1971 Tour de France was the 58th Tour de France, taking place June 26 to July 18, 1971. It consisted of 22 stages over , ridden at an average speed of .... |
DNF-15 1972 Tour de France The 1972 Tour de France was the 59th Tour de France, taking place July 1 to July 22, 1972. It consisted of 20 stages over 3846.6 km, ridden at an average speed of 35.371 km/h. The long awaited clash between Eddy Merckx and Luis Ocaña after Ocaña crashed on Col de Menté in the 1971 Tour de... |
1 1973 Tour de France The 1973 Tour de France was the 60th Tour de France, taking place June 30 to July 22, 1973. It consisted of 20 stages over 4140.4 km, ridden at an average speed of 33.918 km/h. After winning the 1973 Vuelta a España and the 1973 Giro d'Italia, Eddy Merckx did not participate in the Tour... |
DNE | DNF-13 1975 Tour de France The 1975 Tour de France was the 62nd Tour de France, taking place June 26 to July 20, 1975. It consisted of 22 stages over 3999 km, ridden at an average speed of 34.899 km/h. Eddy Merckx was attempting to win his sixth Tour de France, but became a victim of violence. Many Frenchmen were... |
14 1976 Tour de France The 1976 Tour de France was the 63rd Tour de France, taking place June 24 to July 18, 1976. The total race distance was 22 stages over 4017 km, with riders averaging 34.518 km/h.It was won by mountain specialist Lucien Van Impe... |
25 1977 Tour de France The 1977 Tour de France was the 64th Tour de France, taking place June 30 to July 24, 1977. The total race distance was 22 stages over 4096 km, with riders averaging 35.419 km/h.... |
| Stages won | — | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mountains classification | — | NR | NR | NR | NR | 3 | — | NR | NR | NR |
| Points classification | — | NR | 9 | NR | NR | 3 | — | NR | NR | NR |
| Giro 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... |
34 | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE | DNE |
| Stages won | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mountains classification | NR | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Points classification | NR | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Vuelta Vuelta a España The Vuelta a España 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... |
DNF | 2 | 1 | 3 | DNE | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 22 |
| Stages won | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mountains classification | NR | 1 | 4 | 4 | — | NR | 2 | 3 | 5 | NR |
| Points classification | NR | NR | NR | NR | — | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR |
Tour de France
- 1970 - 31st
- 1971 - did not finish
- 1972 - did not finish
- 1973 - 1st
- 1975 - did not finish
- 1976 - 14th
- 1977 - 25th