|
Stages:
|
17 |
|
Kms:
|
3.566,74 |
|
Riders:
|
80 |
|
Teams:
|
8 |
|
Kms/hour:
|
34,575 |
|
Retired:
|
56 |
Federico Martín Bahamontes, first Spanish winner
in Le tour de France, was the main protagonist in this edition of Vuelta a
España 1960, though due to very different causes from what could be expected.
Obviously the rider who had been able to achieve the most important milestone
in the history of the national cycling gathered all eyes, but ended up being
the centre of the critics after protagonizing several incidents all throughout
the race.
There was a constant change of leader until they reached the 14th stage, the
Top Stage, which run between San Sebastián and Vitoria. That day three significant
events took place: the abandon of Charly Gaul, the great rider from Luxembourg,
the fantastic victory of Antonio Suárez and the drop-out of San Emeterio,
main support for Bahamontes. San Emeterio was not taken again by the Organization,
as they had done with Carlos Pérez and the rider from Toledo threatened with
leaving. Lacking more remarkable ingredients in a race which was being characterized
by the important number of abandons, the show had already started. Bahamontes
had a heated argument at the start of the following stage, in Vitoria, with
the referee of the race, Mr. San Román, and with the director, Luis Bergareche,
who told the winner of Le Tour to abandon if he wanted but "I do not accept
blackmails and I will report everything to the Federación". With just thirty-eight
riders in the race, being San Emeterio and Pérez out, the Spanish star decided
to keep on riding La Vuelta, but that did not mean the end of the scandal,
on the contrary: the rider from Toledo, started to hit a man who was insulting
him with his bicycle pump. He arrived at The Finish completely out of control
and more than an hour below the winner of the stage and finally abandoned
the race; he said several things in order to excuse himself but which really
did not make much sense.
The unexpected final leadership of Franz De Mulder, who won too easily, was
almost a mere anecdote in the middle of such a huge stir caused by Bahamontes´
Behaviour. The rest of Spanish riders who could opt to the victory, Suárez,
Manzaneque or Loroño, could not take advantage of the situation.
