1985 Vuelta a España

The 40th Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain), a long-distance bicycle stage race and one of the 3 grand tours, was held from 23 April to 12 May 1985.[1][2] It consisted of 19 stages covering a total of 3,474 km. The race was won by Pedro Delgado of the Orbea cycling team.[3][4]

1985 Vuelta a España
Race details
Dates23 April - 12 May
Stages19 + prologue
Distance3,474 km (2,159 mi)
Winning time95h 58' 00"
Results
Winner  Pedro Delgado (ESP) (Orbea)
  Second  Robert Millar (GBR) (Peugeot-Shell-Michelin)
  Third  Francisco Rodríguez (COL) (Zor)
Points  Sean Kelly (IRL) (Skil-Sem-Reydel)
Mountains  José Luis Laguía (ESP) (Reynolds)
Youth  Fabio Parra (COL) (Café de Colombia)
Sprints  Ronny Van Holen (BEL) (Safir)
  Team Zor - Gemeaz

Teams and riders
Main article: List of teams and cyclists in the 1985 Vuelta a España

Pre-race favourites

The Spanish favourites for the general classification of the race were Pedro Delgado, Faustino Rupérez and Pello Ruiz Cabestany and the potential foreign favourites included Robert Millar, Sean Kelly, Éric Caritoux, Peter Winnen and Gianbattista Baronchelli.

Route
List of stages[5][3][6]
Stage Date Course Distance Type Winner
P 23 April Valladolid – Valladolid 5.6 km (3 mi) Individual time trial  Bert Oosterbosch (NED)
1 24 April Valladolid – Zamora 177 km (110 mi)  Eddy Planckaert (BEL)
2 25 April Zamora – Orense 262 km (163 mi)  Sean Kelly (IRL)
3 26 April Ourense – Santiago de Compostela 197 km (122 mi)  Gianbattista Baronchelli (ITA)
4 27 April Santiago de Compostela – Lugo 162 km (101 mi)  Eddy Planckaert (BEL)
5 28 April Lugo – Oviedo 238 km (148 mi)  Federico Echave (ESP)
6 29 April Oviedo – Lakes of Covadonga 145 km (90 mi)  Pedro Delgado (ESP)
7 30 April Cangas de Onís – Alto Campoo 190 km (118 mi)  Antonio Agudelo (COL)
8 1 May Aguilar de Campoo – Logroño 224 km (139 mi)  Ángel Camarillo (ESP)
9 2 May Logroño – Balneario de Panticosa 253 km (157 mi)  Alfons De Wolf (BEL)
10 3 May Sabiñánigo – Tremp 209 km (130 mi)  Sean Kelly (IRL)
11 4 May Tremp – Andorra 124 km (77 mi)  Francisco Rodríguez (COL)
12 5 May Andorra – Pal (Andorra) 16 km (10 mi) Individual time trial  Francisco Rodríguez (COL)
13 6 May Andorra – Sant Quirze del Vallès 193 km (120 mi)  Angel Sarrapio (ESP)
14 7 May Valencia – Benidorm 201 km (125 mi)  José Recio (ESP)
15 8 May Benidorm – Albacete 208 km (129 mi)  Sean Kelly (IRL)
16 9 May Albacete – Alcalá de Henares 252 km (157 mi)  Isidro Juárez (ESP)
17 10 May Alcalá de Henares – Alcalá de Henares 43 km (27 mi) Individual time trial  Pello Ruiz Cabestany (ESP)
18 11 May Alcalá de Henares – Palazuelos de Eresma (Destilerías DYC) 200 km (124 mi)  José Recio (ESP)
19 12 May Palazuelos de Eresma (Destilerías DYC) – Salamanca 175 km (109 mi)  Vladimir Malakhov (URS)
Total 3,474 km (2,159 mi)

Race summary

In 1985 the Vuelta a España was still held in its April - May slot as the first of the three grand tours of the season. A young Miguel Indurain took the lead on stage 2. Pedro Delgado won stage 6 to the Lagos de Covadonga and took over the race leader's jersey. Delgado lost the lead the following day to Pello Ruiz Cabestany. Scot Robert Millar then took the lead after the tenth stage, a stage won by Kelly.

Millar held the lead going into what has become one of the most infamous days' racing in the history of the event, the penultimate day of the race, stage 18. Millar started the day 10 seconds ahead of Colombian Francisco 'Pacho' Rodriguez with Spain's Pello Ruiz Cabestany 65 seconds further behind in third. With the following days last stage of the race little more than ceremonial, Millar said to the press, "I just have to stick to Pacho Rodríguez's wheel and it's done." A mountainous stage with three major climbs, Rodriguez tried but was unable to make any in roads on Millar on the first climb of the day, the Morcuera. At the foot of the second climb, the Cotos, Millar punctured meaning once the puncture had been tackled Millar had to chase to get back to Rodrigues and Cabestany. By the time riders reached the third climb, Los Leones, Millar had not only reached the men he perceived as his main rivals but was also taking their congratulations indicating their submission in their attempts to overhaul Millar and presenting the race over as a contest.[7]

Millar however was unaware that Delgado, in the mountains around his Segovia home town that he knew like the back of his hand, had launched an attack. None of the riders in Millar's group made him aware of the attack by Delgado - an elite specialist climber like Millar and in this case with the knowledge of the roads allowing him to descend aggressively. Delgado had support in his break from a second rider, Jose Recio. Delgado had started the day in sixth place and 6 minutes behind Millar. Working with Recio, Delgado was now nearly 7 minutes ahead of Millar on the road. Millar had none of his teammates in his group with Rodrigues and Cabestany as his colleagues had been unable to keep up. Recio won the stage and Delgado took overall lead of the race.[8] With the race now referred to as, "The stolen vuelta', from the collusion among the Spanish speaking riders, Millar finished second overall.[9] Peugeot directeur sportif, Roland Berland, said, "It's rotten, the whole peloton was against us. It seems a Spaniard had to win at all costs." L'Équipe's Philip Bouvet stated, Millar was "the victim of a formidable Spanish coalition". Millar said afterwards, "I'll never return to Spain".[10] In the television documentary on Millar, "The High Life", Millar criticised Berland for his handling of the situation on the road when Delgado attacked. Berland had been unable to negotiate support from other non Spanish speaking teams during the stage to give Millar the required support to chase down Delgado's lead.[11][12][13][14][15]

In 1985 and 1986, a national team of the communist Soviet Union participated in the Vuelta. At the time, it was unusual for Soviet riders to participate in professional races.

1985 also saw the participation of the first U.S. professional team sponsored by Rank-Xerox and managed by Robin Morton, the first woman to manage a men's professional cycling team.

General classification (final)
RankRiderTeamTime
1 Pedro DelgadoOrbea 95h 58' 00"
2 Robert MillarPeugeot-Shell-Michelin+ 36"
3 Francisco RodríguezZor+ 46"
4 Pello Ruiz CabestanyOrbea+ 1' 51"
5 Fabio ParraCafé de Colombia+ 3' 40"
6 Eric CaritouxSkil-Sem-Reydel+ 6' 08"
7 Raimund DietzenTeka+ 6' 36"
8 Álvaro PinoZor+ 7' 41"
9 Sean KellySkil-Sem-Reydel+ 7' 52"
10 José Luis NavarroZor+ 8' 56"
11 Julián GorospeReynolds
12 Celestino Prieto RodriguezReynolds
13 Gerard VeldscholtenPanasonic
14 Pascal SimonPeugeot-Shell-Michelin
15 Pierre BazzoFagor
16 Juan Tomas Martinez GutierrezHueso-Motta
17 Antonio Coll PontanillaTeka
18 Vicente BeldaKelme-Merckx
19 Faustino Ruperez RinconZor
20 Ivan IvanovSoviet National Team
21 Ignacio Gaston CrespoReynolds
22 Angel de las HerasHueso-Motta
23 Martín RamírezCafé de Colombia
24 Dominique GardeSkil-Sem-Reydel
25 Gilles MasSkil-Sem-Reydel
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References
  1. "Vuelta a España 1985". Cycling Archives. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  2. "Etapas y kilometraje" [Stages and mileage]. El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 23 April 1985. p. 28. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  3. "40ème Vuelta a España 1985". Memoire du cyclisme (in French). Archived from the original on 25 October 2004.
  4. "Clasificaciones Oficiales" [Classifications] (PDF). El Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo S.A. 13 May 1985. p. 43. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 September 2018. Retrieved 27 May 2012.
  5. "1985 » 40th Vuelta a Espana". Procyclingstats. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  6. "1985 Vuelta a España". BikeRaceInfo. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  7. http://www.podiumcafe.com/2011/5/11/2162334/VueltaAEspana1985
  8. http://vuelta.cyclingfever.com/stage.html?id=1751&etappe_id=5187
  9. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2012-10-31. Retrieved 2012-08-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-02-09. Retrieved 2012-08-19.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. "The stolen Vuelta". Archived from the original on 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  12. "National pride". Pezcycling. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  13. Rendell, Matt (2002). Kings of the Mountains. Aurum Press. ISBN 1-85410-837-9.
  14. "Robert Millar reclusive star". BBC.co.uk. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
  15. "1985 Vuelta general information". la vuelta.com. Retrieved 2008-01-14.
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