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1973 Vuelta a España


FieldValue
name1973 Vuelta a España
date26 April – 13 May
stages17 stages + Prologue, including 4 split stages
distance3,061.8
unitkm
time84h 40' 50"
firstEddy Merckx
first_natBEL
first_teamMolteni
first_coloryellow
secondLuis Ocaña
second_natESP
second_natvar1945
second_teamBic
thirdBernard Thévenet
third_natFRA
third_teamPeugeot-B.P.
pointsEddy Merckx
points_natBEL
points_teamMolteni
points_colorgreen
mountainsJosé Luis Abilleira
mountains_natESP
mountains_natvar1945
mountains_teamLa Casera
sprintsEddy Merckx
sprints_natBEL
sprints_teamMolteni
combinationEddy Merckx
combination_natBEL
combination_teamMolteni
combination_colorred
teamLa Casera
previous[1972](1972-vuelta-a-espana)
next[1974](1974-vuelta-a-espana)

The 28th Edition Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), 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. As Merckx had already won several editions of the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia with his win in the Vuelta, he became the third cyclist after Jacques Anquetil and Felice Gimondi to win all three grand tours in his career. Merckx went on to win the 1973 Giro d'Italia and became the first cyclist to win the Vuelta-Giro double. Merckx also won the points classification and José Luis Abilleira won the mountains classification. With Merckx finishing first, Ocaña second and Thévenet third the podium of the 1973 Vuelta contained one previous winner and two future winners of the Tour de France making it one of the best podiums in the history of the race, according to the official race website. Merckx won six stages in this edition and Gerben Karstens won four.

Teams

A total of eight teams were invited to participate in the 1973 Vuelta a España. Each team sent a squad of ten riders, which meant that the race started with a peloton of 80 cyclists. 62 cyclists reached the finish in San Sebastián.

The teams entering the race were:

Route and stages

StageDateCourseDistanceTypeWinner[P](1973-vuelta-a-espana-prologue-to-stage-9b-prologue)[1](1973-vuelta-a-espana-prologue-to-stage-9b-stage-1)[2](1973-vuelta-a-espana-prologue-to-stage-9b-stage-2)[3](1973-vuelta-a-espana-prologue-to-stage-9b-stage-3)[4](1973-vuelta-a-espana-prologue-to-stage-9b-stage-4)[5](1973-vuelta-a-espana-prologue-to-stage-9b-stage-5)[6a](1973-vuelta-a-espana-prologue-to-stage-9b-stage-6a)[6b](1973-vuelta-a-espana-prologue-to-stage-9b-stage-6b)[7](1973-vuelta-a-espana-prologue-to-stage-9b-stage-7)[8](1973-vuelta-a-espana-prologue-to-stage-9b-stage-8)[9a](1973-vuelta-a-espana-prologue-to-stage-9b-stage-9a)[9b](1973-vuelta-a-espana-prologue-to-stage-9b-stage-9b)[10](1973-vuelta-a-espana-stage-10-to-stage-17b-stage-10)[11](1973-vuelta-a-espana-stage-10-to-stage-17b-stage-11)[12](1973-vuelta-a-espana-stage-10-to-stage-17b-stage-12)[13](1973-vuelta-a-espana-stage-10-to-stage-17b-stage-13)[14](1973-vuelta-a-espana-stage-10-to-stage-17b-stage-14)[15a](1973-vuelta-a-espana-stage-10-to-stage-17b-stage-15a)[15b](1973-vuelta-a-espana-stage-10-to-stage-17b-stage-15b)[16](1973-vuelta-a-espana-stage-10-to-stage-17b-stage-16)[17a](1973-vuelta-a-espana-stage-10-to-stage-17b-stage-17a)[17b](1973-vuelta-a-espana-stage-10-to-stage-17b-stage-17b)
26 AprilCalp to Calp5 km[[Image:Time Trial.svg22pxlink=alt=]]Individual time trialEddy Merckx
27 AprilCalp to Murcia187 kmPieter Nassen
28 AprilMurcia to Albacete156 kmGerben Karstens
29 AprilAlbacete to Alcázar de San Juan146 kmPieter Nassen
30 AprilAlcázar de San Juan to Cuenca169 kmJos Deschoenmaecker
1 MayCuenca to Teruel191 kmGerben Karstens
2 MayTeruel to La Pobla de Farnals150 kmRoger Swerts
La Pobla de Farnals5 km[[Image:Time Trial.svg22pxlink=alt=]]Team time trialMolteni
3 MayLa Pobla de Farnals to Castellón de la Plana165 kmGerben Karstens
4 MayCastellón de la Plana to Calafell245 kmEddy Merckx
5 MayCalafell to Barcelona80 kmJuan Manuel Santisteban
Barcelona to Barcelona37.9 km[[Image:Time Trial.svg22pxlink=alt=]]Individual time trialJacques Esclassan
6 MayBarcelona to Empuriabrava171 kmEddy Merckx
7 MayEmpuriabrava to Manresa225 kmBernard Thévenet
8 MayManresa to Zaragoza259 kmGerben Karstens
9 MayMallén to175 kmDomingo Perurena
10 Mayto Bilbao182 kmJuan Zurano
11 MayBilbao to Torrelavega154 kmEddy Peelman
Torrelavega to Torrelavega17.4 km[[Image:Time Trial.svg22pxlink=alt=]]Individual time trialEddy Merckx
12 MayTorrelavega to Miranda de Ebro203 kmEddy Merckx
13 MayMiranda de Ebro to Tolosa, Gipuzkoa127 kmEddy Peelman
Hernani to San Sebastián10.5 km[[Image:Time Trial.svg22pxlink=alt=]]Individual time trialEddy Merckx
Total3016.8 km

Classification leadership

Four different jerseys were worn during the 1973 Vuelta a España. The leader of the general classification – calculated by adding the stage finish times of each rider, and allowing time bonuses for the first three finishers on mass-start stages – wore a golden jersey. This classification is the most important of the race, and its winner is considered as the winner of the Vuelta.

For the points classification, which awarded a light blue jersey to its leader, cyclists were given points for finishing a stage in the top 15; additional points could also be won in intermediate sprints. The green jersey was awarded to the mountains classification leader. In this ranking, points were won by reaching the summit of a climb ahead of other cyclists. Each climb was ranked as either first, second or third category, with more points available for higher category climbs. The combination classification awarded a red jersey to its leader.

Although no jersey was awarded, there was also one classification for the teams, in which the stage finish times of the best three cyclists per team were added; the leading team was the one with the lowest total time.

The rows in the following table correspond to the jerseys awarded after that stage was run.

StageWinnerGeneral classification
[[Image:Jersey gold.svg25px]]Points classification
[[Image:Jersey light blue.svg25px]]Mountains classification
[[Image:Jersey green.svg25px]]Combination classification
[[Image:Jersey red.svg25px]]Team classificationP123456a6b789a9b101112131415a15b1617a17b**Final****Eddy Merckx****Eddy Merckx****José Luis Abilleira**Eddy Merckx**La Casera**
Eddy MerckxEddy Merckx*not awarded**not awarded**not awarded**not awarded*
Pieter NassenPieter NassenDomingo PerurenaRokado
Gerben KarstensGerben KarstensGerben KarstensJavier Elorriaga & Jean-Jacques Fussien
Pieter NassenPieter NassenJosé Luis AbilleiraJean-Jacques Fussien
Jos DeschoenmaeckerJosé PesarrodonaKAS
Gerben KarstensGerben Karstens
Roger SwertsJosé Luis GaldamezMolteni
Molteni
Gerben KarstensEddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Juan Manuel Santisteban
Jacques Esclassan
Eddy Merckx
Bernard ThévenetEddy MerckxLa Casera
Gerben Karstens
Domingo Perurena
Juan Zurano
Eddy PeelmanEddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Eddy Merckx
Eddy Peelman
Eddy Merckx

Final standings

Legend
[[Image:Jersey gold.svg20pxalt=A gold jersey]]
[[Image:Jersey light blue.svg20pxalt=A light blue jersey]]

General Classification

RankNameTeamTime
1Eddy Merckx [[Image:Jersey gold.svg20pxalt=A gold jersey]] [[Image:Jersey light blue.svg20pxalt=A light blue jersey]] [[Image:Jersey red.svg20pxalt=A red jersey]]Molteni84h 40' 50"
2Luis OcañaBic+ 3' 46"
3Bernard ThévenetPeugeot-B.P.+ 4' 16"
4José PesarrodonaKAS+ 5' 54"
5Pedro TorresLa Casera+ 7' 29"
6Joaquim AgostinhoBic+ 8' 15"
7Agustín TamamesLa Casera+ 9' 15"
8Luis BalaguéLa Casera+ 12' 26"
9Roger SwertsMolteni+ 13' 27"
10Jesús ManzanequeLa Casera+ 15' 01"

Points classification

RiderTeamPoints
1Eddy Merckx [[Image:Jersey light blue.svg20pxalt=A light blue jersey]] [[Image:Jersey gold.svg20pxalt=A gold jersey]] [[Image:Jersey red.svg20pxalt=A red jersey]]Molteni
2Roger SwertsMolteni
3Pieter NassenRokado

Mountains classification

RiderTeamPoints
1José Luis Abilleira [[Image:Jersey green.svg20pxalt=Green jersey]]La Casera
2Eddy Merckx [[Image:Jersey gold.svg20pxalt=A gold jersey]] [[Image:Jersey light blue.svg20pxalt=A light blue jersey]] [[Image:Jersey red.svg20pxalt=A red jersey]]Molteni
3Luis BalaguéLa Casera
4Pedro TorresLa Casera

Combination classification

RiderTeamPoints
1Eddy Merckx [[Image:Jersey red.svg20pxalt=A red jersey]] [[Image:Jersey gold.svg20pxalt=A gold jersey]] [[Image:Jersey light blue.svg20pxalt=A light blue jersey]]Molteni
2José Luis Abilleira [[Image:Jersey green.svg20pxalt=Green jersey]]La Casera
3José Luis GaldamezCoelima-Benfica

Team classification

TeamTime
1La Casera
2Bic
3Molteni
4KAS
5Monte Verde
6Coelima-Benfica
7Peugeot-B.P.
8Rokado

Intermediate sprints classification

RiderTeamPoints
1Eddy Merckx [[Image:Jersey gold.svg20pxalt=A gold jersey]] [[Image:Jersey light blue.svg20pxalt=A light blue jersey]] [[Image:Jersey red.svg20pxalt=A red jersey]]Molteni
2Javier ElorriagaKAS
3José Luis GaldamezCoelima-Benfica
4Fernando MendesCoelima-Benfica
5Eddy PeelmanRokado
6José Luis Abilleira [[Image:Jersey green.svg20pxalt=Green jersey]]La Casera
7Domingo PerurenaKAS
8Jan Van de WieleRokado
9Joseph BruyèreMolteni
10Roger SwertsMolteni

References

Citations

References

  1. "General Information 1973". La Vuelta.com.
  2. (14 May 1973). "Merckx, ilegó, vio y venció". [[El Mundo Deportivo]].
  3. "28 Vuelta Ciclista a España 1973, El número 1 se mostró intocable". El Mundo Deportivo.
  4. (15 May 1973). "Merckx, total dominador de la Vuelta a España, que finalizó el domingo". Los sitios.
  5. (27 April 1973). "28 Vuelta Ciclista a España – Clasificacion Oficial de la Etapa Preliminar". [[El Mundo Deportivo]].
  6. "Hemeroteca Digital. Biblioteca Nacional de España".
  7. "Hemeroteca Digital. Biblioteca Nacional de España".
  8. "Hemeroteca Digital. Biblioteca Nacional de España".
  9. (26 April 1973). "Los Dorsales de Los 80 Participantes". El Mundo Deportivo.
  10. (14 May 1973). "Clasificaciones oficiales". El Mundo Deportivo.
  11. (26 April 1973). "Resumen etapas y kilometraje". El Mundo Deportivo.
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