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By Barry Boyce,
CyclingRevealed Historian
 Ferdinand Bracke
VaE April 29 - May 16, 1971 |
2,893 Km |
Starters: 110 |
Finishers: 68 |
Average Speed: 37.829km/h x
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Spanish Rivalry Benefits a Foreigner
Experts agreed the 1971 Vuelta a Espana was going to be similar to the 1970 edition with Luis Ocana and Augstin Tamames starting as major favorites for the overall victory. However, the fierce rivalry between the Spanish teams will play a major factor in favor of an outsider..
1971 Vuelta a Espana Race Route Details |
Teams:
- Bic
- Fagor-Mercier-Hutchinson
- Goldor
- Goudsmit-Hoff
- Karpy
- KAS-Kaskol
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- La Casera-Pena Bahamontes
- Flandria-Mars
- Orbea-OAR-Legnano
- Peugeot-BP-Michelin
- Werner
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Race Summary:
Prologue: Dutchman Rene Pijnen won the 4.2 km ITT and held the race lead through the first three stages.
Stage 4: 175 km from Pobla de Farnals to Benicasim, Basque Domingo Perurena gained a +6” time bonus for riding first over the summit of the Collar Eslida. Perurena earned the Amarillo Jersey.
Stage 5: Perurena and Cyrille Guimard battled for intermediate sprints time bonuses with Guimard winning all three. Coming into the last 20 km Perurena and Guimard marked each other closely. Pijnen, Eduardo Castello and Jean-Pierre Parenteau escaped the distracted race leader. In Salou Pijnen won the stage and re-took the race lead.
Stage 9: The early leader of the race Dutchman Rene Pijnen controlled affairs but faded on the ninth stage from Jaca to Pamplona. A group of twenty riders broke away with 103 km to go on the stage. The lead grew to 6’05’ over a passive peloton with pre-race favorite Augstin Tamames driving the pace of the breakaway. Tamames won the stage and with the time bonus took the race lead by 2 seconds.
Stage 12: The Spanish media began to criticize defending champion Luis Ocana for his passive racing. Hurt by the critics, Ocana let loose on Stage 12 from Bilbao to Vitoria. At the start of the Orduna climb Ocana attacked with Belgian Ferdinand Bracke close behind. Ocana trailing in the General Classification continued to drive the aggressive pace and dropped his breakaway companions on the Alto Herrera. The angry Spaniard soloed the final 50 km for the stage win, but Bracke in third place on the stage gained enough time to take the race lead.
Ocana's solo Stage 12 win
Stage 14: The final assault on Bracke’s race lead came on the fourteenth stage. Miguel Maria Lasa and Wilfried David joined a 4-rider breakaway that gained significant time on Bracke. Wilfried David won the stage but was unable to unseat Bracke. He did move into second place in the GC.
Stage 17b: Over the final four stages the unheralded Ferdinand Bracke (Bel) rode a solid race and slipped into all attacking groups among the elites when no one considered him a threat. Bracke shared the podium with his compatriot Wilfred David (Bel) and Luis Ocana (Spa).
SPECIAL NOTE: In the press it was disappointing not to see Ocana or Augustin Tamames on the top of the 1971 podium, but reports were even more disconcerting about the poor performance of the remaining Spanish riders.
Doping:
After the final stage, the second placed Wim Scheers (Bel), only +19” behind Bracke, was assessed a ten-minute time penalty for a doping positive test and dropped to 15th place.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Prologue Almeria, 4.2 km ITT |
Rene Pijnen (Ned) |
Rene Pijnen (Ned) |
Stage 1 Almeria-Aguilas, 126 km |
Gert Harings (Ned) |
Rene Pijnen (Ned) |
Stage 2 Aguilas-Calpe, 245 km |
Eddy Peelman (Bel) |
Rene Pijnen (Ned) |
Stage 3 Calpe-Pobla de Farnals, 164 km |
Cyrille Guimard (Fra) |
Rene Pijnen (Ned) |
Stg 4 Pobla/Farnals-Benicasim, 175 km |
Hubert Hutsebaut (Bel) |
Domingo Perurena (Spa) |
Stage 5 Benicasim-Salou, 172 km |
Rene Pijnen (Ned) |
Rene Pijnen (Ned) |
Stage 6 Salou-Barcelona, 149 km |
Eddy Peelman (Bel) |
Rene Pijnen (Ned) |
Stage 7 Barcelona-Manresa, 179 km |
Walter Godefroot (Bel) |
Rene Pijnen (Ned) |
Stage 8 Balaguer-Jaca, 211 km |
Walter Godefroot (Bel) |
Rene Pijnen (Ned) |
Stage 9 Jaca-Pamplona, 175 km |
Agustin Tamames (Spa) |
Agustin Tamames (Spa) |
Stg 10 Pamplona-San Sebastian, 120 km |
Gerard Vianen (Ned) |
Agustin Tamames (Spa) |
Stg 11a San Sebastian-Bilbao, 140 km |
Gerben Karstens (Ned) |
Agustin Tamames (Spa) |
Stage 11b Bilbao-Bilbao, 2.650 km ITT |
J-A Gonzalez-Linares (Spa) |
Miguel Maria Lasa (Spa) |
Stage 12 Bilbao-Vitoria, 185 km |
Luis Ocana (Spa) |
Ferdinand Bracke (Bel) |
Stage 13 Vitoria-Torrelavega, 208 km |
Eddy Peelman (Bel) |
Ferdinand Bracke (Bel) |
Stage 14 Torrelavega-Burgos, 192 km |
Wilfried David (Bel) |
Ferdinand Bracke (Bel) |
Stage 15 Burgos-Segovia, 188 km |
Cyrille Guimard (Fra) |
Ferdinand Bracke (Bel) |
Stage 16 Segovia-Avila, 114 km |
Joop Zoetemelk (Ned) |
Ferdinand Bracke (Bel) |
Stage 17a Avila-Madrid, 138 km |
Willy Scheers (Bel) |
Ferdinand Bracke (Bel) |
Stage 17b Madrid-Madrid, 5.3 km ITT |
Rene Pijnen (Ned) |
 Ferdinand Bracke (Bel)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
 Joop Zoetemelk (Ned)
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POINTS COMPETITION |
 Cyrille Guimard (Fra)
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General Classification:
Final General Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Time |
1 |
Ferdinand BRACKE (Bel) |
Peugeot-BP-Michelin |
73h 50' 05" |
2 |
Wilfried David (Bel) |
Peugeot-BP-Michelin |
59" |
3 |
Luis Ocana (Spa) |
Bic |
1'51" |
4 |
Miguel-Maria Lasa (Spa) |
Orbea-OAR-Legnano |
2'18" |
5 |
Manuel Galera (Spa) |
Karpy |
2'37" |
6 |
Joop Zoetemelk (Ned) |
Flandria-Mars |
2'48" |
7 |
Agustin Tamames (Spa) |
Werner |
5'15" |
8 |
Antonio Martos (Spa) |
Werner |
5'45" |
9 |
Raymond Poulidor (Fra) |
Fagor-Mercier-Hutchinson |
6'01" |
10 |
Luis Balague (Spa) |
Werner |
6'17" |
11 |
Eddy Schutz (Lux) |
Flandria-Mars |
6'39" |
12 |
Cyrille Guimard (Fra) |
Fagor-Mercier-Hutchinson |
8'33" |
13 |
Enrique Sahagun (Spa) |
La Casera-Pena Bahamontes |
9'41" |
14 |
Antonio Menendez (Spa) |
La Casera-Pena Bahamontes |
9'54" |
15 |
Wim Scheers (Ned) |
Goudsmit Hoff |
10'19" |
16 |
Domingo Perurena (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
10'28" |
17 |
Bernard Labourdette (Fra) |
Bic |
11'09" |
18 |
Ventura Diaz (Spa) |
Werner |
11'32" |
19 |
Gonzalo Aja (Spa) |
Karpy |
12'05" |
20 |
Rolf Wolfshohl (Ger) |
Fagor-Mercier-Hutchinson |
13'00" |
21 |
Antonio Gomez del Moral (Spa) |
Karpy |
13'15" |
22 |
Andres Oliva (Spa) |
La Casera-Pena Bahamontes |
13'58" |
23 |
Eduardo Castello (Spa) |
Karpy |
13'58" |
24 |
Jose Gomez-Lucas (Spa) |
Werner |
14'26" |
25 |
Jose-Luis Abilleira (Spa) |
La Casera-Pena Bahamontes |
14'46" |
26 |
Desire Letort (Fra) |
Bic |
15'25" |
27 |
Jose-Luis Uribezubia (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
15'41" |
28 |
Rene Pijnen (Ned) |
Bic |
15'49" |
29 |
Ronald De Witte (Bel) |
Peugeot-BP-Michelin |
18'35" |
30 |
Walter Godefroot (Bel) |
Peugeot-BP-Michelin |
18'36" |
31 |
Jean-Pierre Danguillaume (Fra) |
Peugeot-BP-Michelin |
19'11" |
32 |
Nemesio Jimenez (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
19'51" |
33 |
Jesus Aranzabal (Spa) |
Bic |
20'28" |
34 |
Joaquin Galera (Spa) |
Karpy |
22'28" |
35 |
Francisco Gabica (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
22'29" |
36 |
Evert Dolman (Ned) |
Flandria-Mars |
25'18" |
37 |
Tino Tabak (Ned) |
Flandria-Mars |
26'24" |
38 |
Jose-Maria Lopez-Rodriguez (Spa) |
Werner |
26'58" |
39 |
Gerben Karstens (Ned) |
Goudsmit Hoff |
29'10" |
40 |
Wim Prinsen (Ned) |
Goudsmit Hoff |
30'15" |
41 |
Julian Cuevas (Spa) |
Karpy |
32'44" |
42 |
Julian Zurano (Spa) |
La Casera-Pena Bahamontes |
34'40" |
43 |
Jose Grande (Spa) |
Werner |
36'08" |
44 |
Bernard Thevenet (Fra) |
Peugeot-BP-Michelin |
36'59" |
45 |
Gerard David (Bel) |
Flandria-Mars |
38'12" |
46 |
Jean-Pierre Genet (Fra) |
Fagor-Mercier-Hutchinson |
38'28" |
47 |
Rene Grelin (Fra) |
Fagor-Mercier-Hutchinson |
41'25" |
48 |
Damaso Torres (Spa) |
La Casera-Pena Bahamontes |
42'35" |
49 |
Gerard Vianen (Ned) |
Fagor-Mercier-Hutchinson |
43'05" |
50 |
Pedro Santamarina (Spa) |
Werner |
47'25" |
51 |
Jean-Pierre Parenteau (Fra) |
Peugeot-BP-Michelin |
50'21" |
52 |
Angel Barrigon (Spa) |
Orbea-OAR-Legnano |
51'13" |
53 |
Ramon Saez (Spa) |
Werner |
51'27" |
54 |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
54'17" |
55 |
Karl-Heinz Muddemann (Ger) |
Flandria-Mars |
54'22" |
56 |
Charles Rouxel (Fra) |
Peugeot-BP-Michelin |
55'12" |
57 |
Gabino Erenozaga (Spa) |
Orbea-OAR-Legnano |
57'18" |
58 |
Edward Janssens (Bel) |
Flandria-Mars |
58'32" |
59 |
Piet Rentmeester (Ned) |
Goudsmit Hoff |
58'48" |
60 |
Franky Ebo (Bel) |
Goldor |
1h01'03" |
61 |
Georges Chappe (Fra) |
Fagor-Mercier-Hutchinson |
1h01'35" |
62 |
Juan-Andres Esnaola (Spa) |
Karpy |
1h06'14" |
63 |
Jose-Martinez Esterlich (Spa) |
Orbea-OAR-Legnano |
1h12'03" |
64 |
Sylvain Vasseur (Fra) |
Bic |
1h14'41" |
65 |
Jose Albelda (Spa) |
Karpy |
1h17'53" |
66 |
Juan Carinena (Spa) |
Karpy |
1h18'20" |
67 |
Hendrik Marien (Bel) |
Goldor |
1h23'38" |
68 |
Willy Scheers (Bel) |
Goldor |
1h25'10" |
Final Mountains Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Joop ZOETEMELK (Ned) |
Flandria-Mars |
106 |
2 |
Luis Balague (Spa) |
Werner |
82 |
3 |
Wilfried David (Bel) |
Peugeot-BP-Michelin |
71 |
4 |
Luis Ocana (Spa) |
Bic |
53 |
Final Points Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Cyrille GUIMARD (Fra) |
Fagor-Mercier-Hutchinson |
233 |
2 |
Miguel-Maria Lasa (Spa) |
Orbea-OAR-Legnano |
157.5 |
3 |
Walter Godefroot (Bel) |
Peugeot-BP-Michelin |
146.5 |
4 |
Gerben Karstens (Ned) |
Goudsmit Hoff |
112.5 |
5 |
Domingo Perurena (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
79 |
6 |
Wim Schepers (Ned) |
Goudsmit Hoff |
63 |
7 |
Rene Pijnen (Ned) |
Bic |
57.5 |
8 |
Julian Cuevas (Spa) |
Karpy |
57 |
9 |
Gerard Vianen (Ned) |
Fagor-Mercier-Hutchinson |
56 |
10 |
Gerard David (Bel) |
Flandria-Mars |
55 |
VaE 1970
VaE 1972
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