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1991 Vuelta a España

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1991 Vuelta a España
Race details
Dates29 April – 19 May
Stages21, including one split stage
Distance3,215.5 km (1,998 mi)
Winning time82h 48' 07"
Results
Winner  Melcior Mauri (ESP) (ONCE)
  Second  Miguel Induráin (ESP) (Banesto)
  Third  Marino Lejarreta (ESP) (ONCE)

Points  Uwe Raab (GER) (PDM)
Mountains  Luis Herrera (COL) (Ryalcao Postobón)
Youth  Oliverio Rincón (COL) (Kelme–CAM)
Combination  Federico Echave (ESP) (CLAS–Cajastur)
Sprints  Miguel Ángel Iglesias (ESP) (Puertas Mavisa)
  Team ONCE
← 1990
1992 →

The 46th Edition Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the three grand tours, was held from 29 April to 19 May 1991. It consisted of 21 stages covering a total of 3,215.5 km (1,998 mi),[1] and was won by Melcior Mauri of the ONCE cycling team.[2][3]

Race preview and favorites

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Miguel Induráin, Laudelino Cubino and Anselmo Fuerte were the Spanish favourites for the race. Defending champion Marco Giovannetti was also a favourite together with Steven Rooks, Raúl Alcalá and the Colombians Fabio Parra and Luis ‘Lucho’ Herrera.

In the end Melcior Mauri was the revelation of the race and beat the future winner of the Tour de France Miguel Induráin in all the time trials. Indurain was forced to ride an aggressive race in the mountain stages but Mauri was able to defend his lead.

Route and stages

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Stages and winners[4]
Stage Date Course Winner General Classification leader
1 29 April Mérida (TTT)[nb 1]  Melcior Mauri (ESP)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
2a 30 April Mérida to Cáceres  Michel Zanoli (NED)  Anselmo Fuerte (ESP)
2b 30 April Montijo to Badajoz (TTT)  ONCE (ESP)  Anselmo Fuerte (ESP)
3 1 May Badajoz to Seville  Jesper Skibby (DEN)  Herminio Díaz Zabala (ESP)
4 2 May Seville to Jaén  Jesus Cruz Martin (ESP)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
5 3 May Linares to Albacete  Uwe Raab (GER)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
6 4 May Albacete to Valencia  Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
7 5 May Palma de Mallorca  Jesper Skibby (DEN)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
8 6 May Cala d'Or (ITT)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
9 7 May Sant Cugat del Vallès to Lloret de Mar  Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
10 8 May Lloret de Mar to Andorra la Vella, Andorra  Guido Bontempi (ITA)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
11 9 May Andorra la Vella, Andorra to Pla-de-Beret Stage cancelled  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
12 10 May Bossòst to Cerler  Ivan Ivanov (URS)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
13 11 May Benasque to Zaragoza  Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
14 12 May Ezcaray to Valdezcaray (ITT)  Fabio Parra (COL)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
15 13 May Santo Domingo de la Calzada to Santander  Guido Bontempi (ITA)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
16 14 May Santander to Lagos de Covadonga  Luis Herrera (COL)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
17 15 May Cangas de Onís to Alto del Naranco  Laudelino Cubino (ESP)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
18 16 May León to Valladolid  Antonio Miguel Díaz (ESP)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
19 17 May Valladolid (ITT)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
20 18 May Palazuelos de Eresma  Jesús Montoya (ESP)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)
21 19 May Collado Villalba to Madrid  Jean-Paul van Poppel (NED)  Melcior Mauri (ESP)

Race overview

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The opening stage consisted, on this occasion, of a three-man team time trial. The winning trio consisted of ONCE's Melcior Mauri, Anselmo Fuerte and Herminio Díaz-Zabala. Coupled with ONCE's win in the following day's Team Time Trial, meant the leader's jersey alternated between these three riders for the first week of the race. The team time trial would turn out to have a large impact as Induráin lost almost two minutes to Mauri on this stage.

Stage 8, a 47 km (29 mi) individual time trial, was the first decisive stage of the Vuelta. Riders such as Laudelino Cubino and Anselmo Fuerte lost most of their chances that day. Mauri increased his lead by winning the stage, a little less than a minute ahead of Induráin.

The Pyrenean stages were awaited with anticipation, to see if ONCE's Catalunyan rider would be capable of withstanding the high mountains. However, the queen stage ending at Pla de Beret had to be suspended due to adverse weather. Russian rider Ivan Ivanov won the 12th stage to the mountaintop ski resort at Cerler, but Mauri held on, losing less than a minute to Induráin.

Stage 14 was a mountain time trial finishing at the ski station in Valdezcaray, where Parra and Herrera set the leading times. Mauri once again put in a good performance, gaining more time on Induráin and leading the general classification ahead of his teammate Lejarreta, Echave and Induráin.

The third and final week of the race featured two high mountain stages in the Cordillera Cantábrica mountain range: the historic ascensions to the Alto del Naranco and the Covadonga Lakes. Herrera and Cubino took the stages, but Mauri managed to hang on. Mauri lost some time, but not enough to lose his overall lead. At this point he was the leader and there was still one time trial to go.

Mauri didn't disappoint, winning the Valladolid time trial ahead of Induráin by over a minute to seal his Vuelta win. He would never again perform at such a high standard. Induráin finished second overall, and Lejarreta third.

Results

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Final General Classification

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Rank Rider Team Time
1 Spain Melcior Mauri ONCE 82h 48' 07s
2 Spain Miguel Induráin Banesto a 2' 52s
3 Spain Marino Lejarreta ONCE a 3' 11s
4 Spain Federico Echave CLAS–Cajastur a 3' 54s
5 Colombia Fabio Parra Amaya Seguros a 5' 38s
6 Spain Pello Ruiz Cabestany CLAS–Cajastur a 6' 50s
7 Mexico Raúl Alcalá PDM–Concorde a 6' 57s
8 Latvia Piotr Ugrumov Seur a 10' 43s
9 Netherlands Steven Rooks Buckler a 12' 09s
10 Colombia Oliverio Rincón Kelme a 12' 11s
11 Spain Eduardo Chozas ONCE
12 Netherlands Tom Cordes PDM–Ultima–Concorde
13 Colombia Luis Herrera Ryalco–Postobón
14 Spain Ignacio Gaston Crespo CLAS–Cajastur
15 Spain Laudelino Cubino Gonzalez Amaya
16 Spain Jon Unzaga Bombín Seur
17 Germany Udo Bölts Telekom-Mercedes-Merckx
18 Italy Marco Giovannetti Gatorade-Chateau d'Ax
19 Soviet Union Ivan Ivanov Seur
20 Spain Fernando Martinez De Guerenu Puertas Mavisa
21 Spain Francisco Javier Mauleón CLAS–Cajastur
22 Colombia Alvaro Meija Castrillon Ryalco–Postobón
23 Spain Jesus Montoya Alarcon Amaya
24 France Fabrice Philipot Banesto
25 Colombia Gerardo Moncada Ryalco–Postobón

Notes

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  1. ^ The opening stage was competed as a three-man time trial.

References

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  1. ^ "46ème Vuelta a España 1991". Memoire du cyclisme (in French). Archived from the original on 11 August 2004.
  2. ^ "Vuelta Ciclista a España, Clasificaciones" (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo. 20 May 1991. p. 44. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 October 2021.
  3. ^ "Vuelta Ciclista a España, Clasificaciones" (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo. 20 May 1991. p. 45. Archived (PDF) from the original on 3 October 2021.
  4. ^ "1991 » 46th Vuelta a Espana". procyclingstats.com. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
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