Alberto Fernández (cyclist)
Alberto Fernández Blanco (15 January 1955 - 14 December 1984) was a Spanish road racing cyclist. His son Alberto Fernández Sainz is also a road racing cyclist.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Alberto Fernández Blanco |
| Nickname | El Galleta (The Biscuit) |
| Born | 15 January 1955 Cuena, Spain |
| Died | 14 December 1984 (aged 29) |
| Team information | |
| Discipline | Road |
| Role | Rider |
| Rider type | All-rounder |
| Professional teams | |
| 1978 | Novostil-Helios |
| 1979 | Moliner-Vereco |
| 1980–1982 | Teka |
| 1983–1984 | Zor-Gemeaz |
| Major wins | |
| Volta a Catalunya (1982) Vuelta al País Vasco (1980) Giro d'Italia, 2 stages Vuelta a España, 1 stage | |
Fernández was born in Cuena, Cantabria. As an amateur, he won the Spanish mountain bike championships, and turned professional in 1978. During his career, he was nicknamed el Galleta ("the Biscuit"), because the town where he lived, Aguilar de Campoo, had several biscuit factories.
Fernández tested positive for the stimulant Methylphenidate (Ritalin) on stage 17 of the 1982 Vuelta a España.[1]
His best results came during the last two years of his career. He finished 10th overall in the 1982 Tour de France, and 3rd in his first appearance in the 1983 Giro d'Italia. He also finished 3rd in the 1983 Vuelta a España, improving to 2nd in 1984, only 6 seconds behind winner Éric Caritoux (the shortest winning margin in any of the Grand Tours).
He and his wife died in a car accident in December 1984, just short of his 30th birthday.
References
- "1982 General Information". La Vuelta.com. Archived from the original on 21 September 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
