| |
By Barry Boyce,
CyclingRevealed Historian
 Bernardo Ruiz
VaE June 13 - July 4, 1948 |
4,008 Km |
Starters: 54 |
Finishers: 26 |
Average Speed: 26.358 km/h x
|
|
|
A Classic Spanish Duel
The eighth edition of the Vuelta a Espana marked a classic battle between two talented Spanish riders. An ‘up and coming' rider named Bernardo Ruiz matched his skills against 1946 Vuelta champion Dalmacio Langarica. The resulting race provided excitement from start to finish.
1948 Vuelta a Espana Race Raoute Details |
The mountainous stages (Stages 12 to 16) along the Cantabria Coast in the North of Spain were designed to challenge the contenders and it would be a major factor in determining the final winner.
SPECIAL NOTE: Spanish superstar Julian Berrendero (Vuelta winner in 1941 & 1942) saw his fitness fading little by little and apart from his physical decline, he suffered the loss of his father halfway through the race. Sadly, he abandoned the Vuelta. Berrendero will go down in history one of the great heroes of Spanish racing.
Race Summary:
Stage 1: Contenders Julian Berrendero and Bernardo Ruiz finish with the same time and both were awarded a Maillot Blanco (White/Red Stripe Leader’s Jersey).
Stage 3: Tremendous heat greeted the riders on third stage as the race south towards the Mediterranean coast.
Stage 4: The fourth stage 285 km from Granada to Murcia, Dalmacio Langarica riding well but misfortune gave the stage win and time bonus to Bernardo Ruiz. Ruiz won the Maillot Blanco (White/Red Stripe Leader’s Jersey).
Stage 6: After trading the race lead over the first five stages Dalmacio Langarica used the first major climb, the Puerto de la Carrasqueta, to launch the winning attack. With the 1 minute"stage win"bonus Langarica took back the Maillot Blanco (White Leader’s Jersey).
Stage 6: After trading the race lead over the first five stages Dalmacio Langarica used the first major climb, the Puerto de la Carrasqueta, to launch the winning attack. With the 1 minute"stage win"bonus Langarica took back the Maillot Blanco (White/Red Stripe Leader’s Jersey).
Canardo also rode a brilliant final stage. Going into the stage he was trailing Belgian Antoine Dignef by more than 3 minutes in his battle for second place. Canardo broke away from the peloton with Bulla and finished more than 10 minutes ahead of Dignef to move into second place overall.
Stage 12: The racing action intensified on the twelfth stage. With the race lead Langarica headed into the brutal climbs from San Sebastian to Bilbao. On the ascent of the Urkiola Langarica attacked Ruiz and opened a 3’42” lead over the summit. On the second climb of the Barazar a mechanical breakdown caused the race leader to crash. Ruiz and Emilio Rodríguez ride past the fallen leader and over the summit led by1’20”. The duos lead increase to 2’50” over the summit of Sollube. Ruiz won the stage win and the one-minute time bonus. He took over the White Jersey with a GC lead of 3’52”.
Stage 17: During the last seven stages, Langarica constantly attacked to regain race leadership. But another heavy fall in stage 17 put an end to his GC hopes. He lost 13'38" on the stage and fell back to fourth place overall.
Stage 20- Bernardo Ruiz answered every challenge over the next three stages and rode into Madrid to claim the 1948 Vuelta a Espana victory.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1 Madrid-Madrid, 14 km ITT |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Berrendero (Spa) & Ruiz (Spa) |
Stage 2 Madrid-Valdepenas, 198 km |
Frans Gielen (Bel) |
Frans Gielen (Bel) |
Stage 3 Valdepenas-Granada, 232 km |
Dalmacio Langarica (Spa) |
Dalmacio Langarica (Spa) |
Stage 4 Granada-Murcia, 285 km |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Stage 5 Murcia-Alicante, 230 km |
Roberto Vercellone (Ita) |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Stage 6 Alicante-Valencia, 163 km |
Dalmacio Langarica (Spa) |
Dalmacio Langarica (Spa) |
Stage 7 Valencia-Tortosa, 201 km |
Jose Perez (Spa) |
Dalmacio Langarica (Spa) |
Stage 8 Tortosa-Barcelona, 209 km |
Senen Mesa (Spa) |
Dalmacio Langarica (Spa) |
Stage 9 Barcelona-Lerida, 203 km |
Miguel Gual (Spa) |
Dalmacio Langarica (Spa) |
Stage 10 Lerida-Zaragoza, 144 km |
Jean Lesage (Bel) |
Dalmacio Langarica (Spa) |
Stg 11 Zaragoza-San Sebastian, 276 km |
Dalmacio Langarica (Spa) |
Dalmacio Langarica (Spa) |
Stage 12 San Sebastian-Bilbao, 259 km |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Stage 13 Bilbao-Santander, 212 km |
Senen Mesa (Spa) |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Stage 14 Santander-Gijon, 225 km |
Senen Mesa (Spa) |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Stage 15 Gijon-Ribadeo, 200 km |
Jean Lesage (Bel) |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Stage 16 Ribadeo-La Coruna, 156 km |
Miguel Gual (Spa) |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Stage 17 La Coruna-Orense, 156 km |
Miguel Gual (Spa) |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Stage 18 Orense-Leon, 276 km |
Jean Lesage (Bel) |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Stage 19 Leon-Segovia, 269 km |
Miguel Gual (Spa) |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
Stage 20 Segovia-Madrid, 100 km |
Vittorio Ruiz (Spa) |
 Bernardo Ruiz (Spa)
|
|
Mountain Prize |
Bernardo Ruiz (Spa) |
General Classification:
Final General Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Time |
1 |
Bernardo RUIZ (Spa) |
UD Sans-Alas Color |
155h06'30" |
2 |
Emilio Rodriguez (Spa) |
UD Sans-Alas Color |
+9'07" |
3 |
Bernardo Capo (Spa) |
Veloz Sport Balear |
+20'45" |
4 |
Dalmacio Langarica (Spa) |
Insecticidas ZZ |
+22'19" |
5 |
Senen Mesa (Spa) |
Bicicletas Gaitan |
+24'57" |
6 |
Manuel Costa (Spa) |
Casas Galindo-Sangalhos |
+25'52" |
7 |
Manuel Rodriguez (Spa) |
Agris Radio |
+33'25" |
8 |
Jose Perez (Spa) |
UD Sans-Alas Color |
+39'37" |
9 |
Miguel Gual (Spa) |
Veloz Sport Balear |
+43'35" |
10 |
Antoine Giauna (Fra) |
Hojas Afeitar Iberia |
+1h07'38" |
11 |
Vittorio Ruiz (Spa) |
Agris Radio |
+1h07'56" |
12 |
Jean Lesage (Bel) |
Bicicleta Cil |
+1h27'47" |
13 |
Juan Gimeno (Spa) |
Casas Galindo-Sangalhos |
+1h50'50" |
14 |
Ricardo Ferrandiz (Spa) |
UD Sans-Alas Color |
+2h11'35" |
15 |
Jose Serra (Spa) |
UD Sans-Alas Color |
+2h13'15" |
16 |
Augustin Miro (Spa) |
Casas Galindo-Sangalhos |
+2h24'14" |
17 |
Antonio Gelabert (Spa) |
Veloz Sport Balear |
+2h43'47" |
18 |
Pedro Font (Spa) |
Digame |
+2h47'34" |
19 |
Jean Breuer (Bel) |
Bicicleta Cil |
+3h11'43" |
20 |
Senen Blanco (Spa) |
Bicicletas Gaitan |
+3h14'36" |
21 |
Jesus Lorono (Spa) |
Insecticidas ZZ |
+4h30'04" |
22 |
Andres Moran (Spa) |
Bicicletas Gaitan |
+5h47'06" |
23 |
Natalino Arata (Ita) |
Pedal Notario |
+6h21'15" |
24 |
Joaquin Jimenez (Spa) |
Agris Radio |
+6h31'46" |
25 |
Francis Gielen (Bel) |
Bicicleta Cil |
+6h32'28" |
26 |
Jean Bogaerts (Bel) |
Bicicleta Cil |
+10h34'47" |
Final Mountains Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Bernardo RUIZ (Spa) |
UD Sans-Alas Color |
28 |
2 |
Dalmacio Langarica (Spa) |
Insecticidas ZZ |
24 |
3t |
Victor Ruiz (Spa) |
Agris Radio |
16 |
Emilio Rodriguez (Spa) |
UD Sans-Alas Color |
5 |
Julian Berrendero (Spa) |
Casas Galindo-Sangalhos |
10 |
6 |
Senen Mesa (Spa) |
Bicicletas Gaitan |
9 |
7 |
Pedro Font (Spa) |
Digame |
4 |
8t |
Jean Lesage (Bel) |
Bicicleta Cil |
3 |
Manuel Rodriguez (Spa) |
Agris Radio |
10t |
Manuel Costa (Spa) |
Casas Galindo-Sangalhos |
2 |
Antonio Gelabert (Spa) |
Veloz Sport Balear |
16 |
Andres Moran (Spa) |
Bicicletas Gaitan |
1 |
VaE 1947
VaE 1950
Return to the Timeline ToC x x
Return to the Race Snippets ToC |
|
