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By Barry Boyce,
CyclingRevealed Historian
 Rudi Altig
VaE April 27 - May 13, 1962 |
2,814 Km |
Starters: 90 |
Finishers: 48 |
Average Speed: 36.174 km/h x
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Big German Answers Every Attack
French superstar Jacques Anquetil was at the top of the cycling World. He had two Tour de France victories (1957, 1961), one Giro d'Italia win (1960), and came to Spain for the missing piece of his "Grand Tour Puzzle", the Vuelta a Espana. Anquetil came to Spain with a very powerful team to support his effort. One late addition was his big German teammate Rudi Altig. Team director Raphael Geminiani wanted Altig to get some hard training before the Tour de France.
1962 Vuelta a Espana Race Route Details |
Teams:
- Faema
- Ferrys
- Italy
- Kas
- Netherlands
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- LICOR 43
- Portugal
- Saint Raphael-Helyett
- Wiel's-Groene Leeuw
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Jacques Anquetil’s powerful Saint Raphael-Helyett
Race Summary:
Stage 7: Anquetil's Saint Raphael-Helyett team controlled the race through seven stages and answered every attack. Anquetil teammates Seamus Elliott and Rudi Altig traded the race lead until Altig broke away on the seventh stage. Altig sprinted to the stage win, and the big German grabbed the race lead. He was 4'51” ahead of his French team leader.
Stage 9: The rivalry between the two teammates burst on the ninth stage. Anquetil broke away from his race leading and teammate to gained 1'18”. Altig was relegated to the peloton until a late in the stage surge by Marcel Janssens. The talented Belgian with Altig in tow caught the Anquetil breakaway group. The effort saved Altig GC race lead.
Special Note: Before stage 15 Altig was asked if Anquetil would win the stage and take the race lead, the German rider answered emphatically "I will be the winner".
Stage 15: It was now time for the long 82 km individual time trial between Bayonne and San Sebastian, which included the climb of the category 2 of the Alto de Ibardin. An excellent rider against the clock, Jacques Anquetil anticipated himself in the Amarillo Jersey following this stage. Anquetil set the time to beat with a 2h17'08". The big German flew up the Ibardin and headed down the finishing straight in San Sebastian with all observers looking at their stopwatches. The Big German crossed the line in a time of 2h17'07", one second better than his team leader. Altig recaptured the lead with Anquetil second placed +4'52" and Perez-Frances in third +7'14".
Special Note: At the start of Stage 16 rumors increased surrounding Anquetil. The French Champion fell ill, suffering from gastritis during the stage from San Sebastian to Vitoria. The French press wrote: "Anquetil est mort" (Anquetil is mortal) as the French champion abandoned after the stage.
Stage 16: There were still two mountain stages to race and the Spanish hopes for victory fell to Jose Perez-Frances. The question was asked “can he take advantage of the five climb Stage 16?
One stage from the finish the now second placed Spanish rider Jose Perez-Frances attacked relentlessly, trying everything to breakaway. Rudi Altig answered all his attempts and maintained control of the race.
Stage 17- In Bilbao, the big German Rudi Altig climbed onto the top step of the podium. The victory was sweet, and he achieved a measure of revenge on his team director Raphael Geminiani, who had left the 22 year old German off the Saint Raphael-Helyet Tour de France team. Most experts considered him too young and inexperienced.
SPECIAL NOTE: The National Cycling Federation director, Jose-Antonio Elola, scolded the Spanish team riders and directors for their disappointing results. With the Anquetil abandonment Spanish riders could not fill the void. Rudi Altig did…!
The only highlight for the Spanish peloton was from KAS climber Antonio Karmany, who captured his third consecutive Mountain Classification (King of the Mountains).
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1 Barcelona/Montjuich, 90 km |
Antonio Barrutia (Spa) |
Antonio Barrutia (Spa) |
Stage 2 Barcelona-Tortosa, 185 km |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Stage 3 Tortosa-Valencia, 188 km |
Nino Defilippis (Ita) |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Stage 4 Valencia-Benidorm, 141 km |
Seamus Elliott (Ire) |
Seamus Elliott (Ire) |
Stage 5 Benidorm-Benidorm, 21 km TTT |
SAINT RAPHAEL |
Seamus Elliott (Ire) |
Stage 6 Benidorm-Cartagena, 152 km |
Jean Graczyk (Fra) |
Seamus Elliott (Ire) |
Stage 7 Murcia-Almeria, 223 km |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Stage 8 Almeria-Malaga, 220 km |
Jean-Claude Annaert (Fra) |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Stage 9 Malaga-Cordoba, 193 km |
Antonio Gomez del Moral (Spa) |
Seamus Elliott (Ire) |
Stage 10 Valdepenas-Madrid, 210 km |
Albertus Geldermans (Ned) |
Seamus Elliott (Ire) |
Stage 11 Madrid-Valladolid, 189 km |
Jean Stablinski (Fra) |
Seamus Elliott (Ire) |
Stage 12 Valladolid-Logrono, 232 km |
Ernesto Bono (Ita) |
Seamus Elliott (Ire) |
Stage 13 Logrono-Pamplona, 191 km |
Jean Graczyk (Fra) |
Seamus Elliott (Ire) |
Stage 14 Pamplona-Bayonne (Fra), 149 km |
Jean Graczyk (Fra) |
Seamus Elliott (Ire) |
Stg 15 Bay. (Fra)-San Sebastian, 82 km ITT |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Stage 16 San Sebastian-Vitoria, 177 km |
Jean Graczyk (Fra) |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Stage 17 Vitoria-Bilbao, 171 km |
Jose Segu (Spa) |
 Rudi Altig (Ger)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
 Antonio Karmany (Spa)
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POINTS COMPETITION |
 Rudi Altig (Ger)
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General Classification:
Final General Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Time |
1 |
Rudi ALTIG (Ger) |
St Raphael-Helyett |
78h 35' 27" |
2 |
Jose Perez-Frances (Spa) |
Ferrys |
7'14" |
3 |
Seamus Elliott (Ire) |
St Raphael-Helyett |
7'17" |
4 |
Miguel Pacheco (Spa) |
Kas |
10'21" |
5 |
Francisco Gabica (Spa) |
Kas |
10'31" |
6 |
Jean Stablinski (Fra) |
St Raphael-Helyett |
17'07" |
7 |
Mies Stolker (Ned) |
St Raphael-Helyett |
17'57" |
8 |
Fernando Manzaneque (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
18'13" |
9 |
Eddy Pauwels (Bel) |
Wiel's-Groene Leeuw |
19'55" |
10 |
Albertus Geldermans (Ned) |
St Raphael-Helyett |
20'23" |
11 |
Eusebio Velez (Spa) |
Kas |
22'10" |
12 |
Marcel Seynaeve (Bel) |
Wiel's-Groene Leeuw |
24'25" |
13 |
Jesus Lorono (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
32'49" |
14 |
Jean-Claude Annaert (Fra) |
St Raphael-Helyett |
35'19" |
15 |
Roger Baguet (Bel) |
Wiel's-Groene Leeuw |
37'40" |
16 |
Rene Marigil (Fra) |
LICOR 43 |
37'47 |
17 |
Dieter Puschel (Ger) |
Wiel's-Groene Leeuw |
38'45" |
18 |
Antonio Gomez del Moral (Spa) |
Faema |
39'51" |
19 |
Luis Mayoral (Spa) |
Faema |
41'17" |
20 |
Salvador Rosa (Spa) |
Faema |
42'57" |
21 |
Antonio Karmany (Spa) |
Kas |
43'05" |
22 |
Jose Segu (Spa) |
Kas |
44'24" |
23 |
Mario Da Silva (Por) |
Portugal |
45'48" |
24 |
Antonio Bertran (Spa) |
Ferrys |
46'48" |
25 |
Jean Graczyk (Fra) |
St Raphael-Helyett |
47'48" |
26 |
Alphonse Sweeck (Bel) |
Wiel's-Groene Leeuw |
47'58" |
27 |
Antonio Jimenez-Quiles (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
48'56" |
28 |
Emilio Cruz (Spa) |
Ferrys |
49'10" |
29 |
Jorge Corvo (Por) |
Portugal |
52'27" |
30 |
Sergio Braga (Ita) |
Italy |
57'06" |
31 |
Jose Urrestarazu (Spa) |
Kas |
1h01'06" |
32 |
Marcel Janssens (Bel) |
St Raphael-Helyett |
1h02'04" |
33 |
Johannes Westdorp (Ned) |
Netherlands |
1h02'14" |
34 |
Antonio Barrutia (Spa) |
Kas |
1h03'23" |
35 |
Gaetano Sarazin (Ita) |
Italy |
1h07'58" |
36 |
Ernesto Bono (Ita) |
Italy |
1h08'40" |
37 |
Frits Knoops (Ned) |
Netherlands |
1h09'33" |
38 |
Jorge Nicolau (Spa) |
Kas |
1h13'51" |
39 |
Rogelio Hernandez (Spa) |
Ferrys |
1h21'40" |
40 |
Vicente Iturat (Spa) |
Ferrys |
1h22'57" |
41 |
Jose Herrero-Berrendero (Spa) |
Faema |
1h26'05" |
42 |
Leonardus Coehorst (Ned) |
Netherlands |
1h27'35" |
43 |
Esteban Martin (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
1h27'45" |
44 |
Angel Guardiola (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
1h30'05" |
45 |
Gabriel Company (Spa) |
Ferrys |
1h35'47" |
46 |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Faema |
1h37'55" |
47 |
Manuel Martin-Pinera (Spa) |
Kas |
1h47'19" |
48 |
Francisco Valada (Por) |
Portugal |
1h49'02" |
Final Mountains Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Antonio KARMANY (Spa) |
Kas |
57 |
2 |
Jose Segu (Spa) |
Kas |
44 |
3 |
Julio Jimenez (Spa) |
Faema |
42 |
4 |
Manuel Martin-Pinera (Spa) |
Kas |
31 |
5 |
Fernando Manzaneque (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
24 |
6 |
Angel Guardiola (Spa) |
LICOR 43 |
23 |
7 |
Jose Urrestarazu (Spa) |
Kas |
23 |
8 |
Jose Perez-Frances (Spa) |
Ferrys |
17 |
Final Points Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Rudi ALTIG (Ger) |
St Raphael-Helyett |
143.5 |
2 |
Seamus Elliott (Ire) |
St Raphael-Helyett |
256 |
3 |
Jose Perez-Frances (Spa) |
Ferrys |
281 |
VaE 1961
VaE 1963
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