|
Stages:
|
18 |
|
Kms:
|
2.990 |
|
Riders:
|
90 |
|
Teams:
|
9 |
|
Kms/hour:
|
37,958 |
|
Retired:
|
39 |
With the demonstrations of "The French May" as
main feature, 1968 was a year full of students demands and social fights.
La Vuelta was also involved in that atmosphere. The 15th stage, which covered
the distance between Vitoria and Pamplona, was the chosen scene to carry out
a terrorist attack which almost ends in tragedy. Fortunately, the explosive
device, placed on the route of the race, exploded several minutes before the
riders crossed the place. Although the stage had to be suspended, neither
this incident nor the absence of the great Eddy Merckx, could spoil one of
the most brilliant editions of Vuelta a España; his participation in the race
had been taken for granted (his team, Faema, considered that taking part in
The Giro would be better for their economic interests). The highest fighting
spirit and the uncertainty which was maintained until the last moment were
the sporting ingredients which characterized Vuelta a España 1968; this was
an edition whose victory was open to a good number of riders until the second
part of the second half of the race. Janssen, Altig, Wright and Matin Peñira
wore the Yellow Jersey for the first eleven stages. However, the four of them,
as well as the rest of participants (90 started the race) succumbed to the
attacks of Felice Gimondi and Pérez Francés. The italian rider achieved the
victory, who beat the Spanish after a very intense fight during the last stages.
The race got to its highest peak in the 12th stage, between Villalón de Campos
and Gijón. The riders met the mountain for the first time in this edition
and Pérez Francés made his first attempt to breakaway. Surrounded by snow
and mist and after an almost suicidal descent of Puerto de Pajares, the Spanish
rider won the stage and obtained the Yellow Jersey. Many people thought that
the race was already decided, however, Gimondi winner in Tour 1965 and Giro
1967 and the most remarkable figura present in the Spanish race, did not give
up.Two days later, between Santander and Vitoria, he went into action; he
launched an attack for the last fifty kilometres of the stage and ousted the
Spanish rider from his leadership gaining an advantage of eleven seconds.
In the penultimate stage, a sixty-kilometre-long time trial between San Sebatián
and Tolosa, he rounded the race off increasing, in that way, his advantage
to more than two minutes.
Gimondi became , after Anquetil, the second best rider in the history of cycling,
who won the three "big races" in stages. Julio Jiménez obtained his fourth
leadership in the mountain.
