|
Stages:
|
15 |
|
Kms:
|
2.740 |
|
Riders:
|
106 |
|
Teams:
|
18 |
|
Kms/hour:
|
33,799 |
|
Retired:
|
43 |
This edition of Vuelta a España, the first one
organized by El Correo Español-El Pueblo Vasco, was marvelously welcomed by
all the enthusiasts, after four years of absence. The shortage of riders in
past editions was completely forgotten with the 106 participants, divided
in 18 teams, which took part in this edition of 1955, among who we find a
considerable number of both Spanish and foreign important figures. Bahamontes,
Loroño, Emilio Rodriguez, Bernardo Ruiz, Poblet, Bauvin, Magni, Geminiani
and the still unknown Dotto, who surprisingly achieved the final victory,
were most of the best riders in the world and whose participation in this
edition made Vuelta a España even more more prestigious.
The enthusiasts concentrated their interest in the first part of the race,
mainly in the fierce fight which the Spanish and French riders had against
the Italian riders, who were the real rulers in the last part of the race.
However the worst enemy of the Spanish riders was the tremendous lack of organization
lived among themselves, which handed the triumph to the foreign riders on
a plate and deprived the enthusiasts of the third consecutive national victory.
The Transalpine riders certainly showed that they were a real team and won
nine of the last ten stages, though they did not pay attention to an exceptional
rider, the French rider Dotto who started a breakaway allowed by the peloton
and which finally decided the final result of the race. Dotto resisted the
attacks from the different riders and was able to arrive in Bilbao as leader,
while the Italian riders had to make do with completing their training for
Giro de Italia and winning as many stages as they could.
The Spanish rider Jiménez Quiles and the Italian Geminiani escorted Dotto
to the podium, while the Climbers Overall Standings was lead by the Transalpine
rider Giusseppe Buratti, who had an advantage of four points over Antonio
Gelabert and fifteen over the French rider Bauvin.
