15th Vuelta a Espana 1960

Bahamontes Tantrum, Belgian Wins

As much as the 1959 Vuelta a Espana provided great racing excitement, the 1960 edition achieved great disappointment for Spain. All eyes were on Federico Bahamontes, the first Spanish winner of the Tour de France (1959). A hero in Spain, Bahamontes would be in the center of controversy and shameful behavior.

There was solid racing and a constant change at the head of the race until the 14th stage. The penultimate stage from San Sebastian to Vitoria saw a struggling climber Charly Gaul (Lux) abandon the race and the controversial disqualification of Bahamontes' main lieutenant Julian San Emeterio. San Emeterio finished the stage outside the time limit and the race officials put him out of the Vuelta. An angry Bahamontes threatened race officials with his own withdrawal. The race referee San Roman and director Luis Bergareche told Bahamontes “abandon if you must, but I do not accept blackmail and I will report everything to the Federación." With only 38 riders left in the Vuelta the Spanish star relented and remained in the race.

But that was not the end of the controversy! On the next stage Bahamontes began hitting a fan with his bicycle pump for hurling insults at the Spanish star. Bahamontes finished the stage an hour and a half behind stage winner Arthur De Cabooter (Bel). Bahamontes abandoned the race claiming an attack of appendicitis (?).

Overshadowed by Bahamontes' behavior Belgian Franz De Mulder rode a superior race and took the race lead on Stage 16 with the stage win. De Mulder took another stage win in Guernica, while his teammate and race leader Armand Desmet lost fifteen minutes.

Franz De Mulder rode into Bilboa to complete a beautiful race despite the pains suffered by the other stars of the race.

Stage and Distance	Stage Winner	Race Leader
Stage 1 Gijon-Gijon, 8 km TTT	FAEMA	Eusebio Velez (Spa)
Stage 2 Gijon-La Coruna, 235 km	Felipe Alberdi (Spa)	Felipe Alberdi (Spa)
Stage 3 La Coruna-Vigo, 187 km	Antonio Barrutia (Spa)	Antonio Barrutia (Spa)
Stage 4 Vigo-Orense, 105 km	Franz De Mulder (Bel)	Antonio Barrutia (Spa)
Stage 5 Orense-Zamora, 287 km	Antonio Gomez del Moral (Spa)	Jesus Galdeano (Spa)
Stage 6 Zamora-Madrid, 250 km	Nino Assirelli (Ita)	Fernando Manzaneque (Spa)
Stage 7 Madrid-Madrid, 209 km	Franz De Mulder (Bel)	Fernando Manzaneque (Spa)
Stage 8 Madrid-Zaragoza, 264 km	Arthur De Cabooter (Bel)	Fernando Manzaneque (Spa)
Stage 9 Zaragoza-Barcelona, 269 km	Salvador Botella (Spa)	Franz De Mulder (Bel)
Stage 10 Tarrasa-Barbastro, 240 km	Alphonse Sweeck (Bel)	Armand Desmet (Bel)
Stage 11 Barbastro-Pamplona, 267 km	Vicente Iturat (Spa)	Armand Desmet (Bel)
Stage 12 Pamplona-Logrono, 179 km	Jesus Galdeano (Spa)	Armand Desmet (Bel)
Stage 13 Logrono-San Sebastian, 211 km	Federico Bahamontes (Spa)	Armand Desmet (Bel)
Stage 14 San Sebastian-Vitoria, 263 km	Antonio Suarez (Spa)	Armand Desmet (Bel)
Stage 15 Vitoria-Santander, 232 km	Arthur De Cabooter (Bel)	Armand Desmet (Bel)
Stage 16 Santander-Bilbao, 192 km	Franz De Mulder (Bel)	Franz De Mulder (Bel)
Stage 17a Bilbao-Guernica, 116 km	Franz De Mulder (Bel)	Franz De Mulder (Bel)
Stage 17b Guernica-Bilbao, 53 km ITT	Antonio Karmany (Spa)	Franz De Mulder (Bel)
	BEST CLIMBER PRIZE	Antonio Karmany (Spa)
	POINTS COMPETITION	Arthur De Cabooter (Bel)

VaE 1959

VaE 1961

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