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By Barry Boyce,
CyclingRevealed Historian
 Felice Gimondi
VaE April 25 - May 12, 1968 |
3,010 Km |
Starters: 90 |
Finishers: 51 |
Average Speed: 38.355 km/h x
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Terrorists Can't Stop LA VUELTA
The World was full of protests in 1968. The demonstrations of “The French May” were featured in a year filled with student protests and social upheaval. The 23rd edition of La Vuelta a Espana (April 25 to May 12, 1968) fell under the revolutionary social atmosphere of the time.
Special Note: Stage 15 from Vitoria to Pamplona was the target of terrorists and nearly ended in tragedy. A Basque freedom organization Euskadi Ta Aaskatasuna-ETA (meaning Basque Fatherland and Freedom) placed an explosive device on the race route (descent of the Collar Urbasa). Fortunately, the device exploded just minutes before the peloton arrived. There were no injuries, but incident caused the cancellation of the stage. BUT the terrorists could not stop the Vuelta.
The incident disrupted the race but could not spoil one of the most brilliant editions of Vuelta a Espana. The race featured great individual efforts and the results remained up for grabs well into the late stages.
1968 Vuelta a Espana Race Route Details |
Teams:
- Bic
- Faema
- Fagor-Fargas
- Ferrys
- Goldor-Gerka-Main d'Or
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- Karpy
- Pelforth-Sauvage-Lejeune
- Salvarani
- Kas-Kaskol
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Race Summary:
Stage 1 to 11: Defending Champion Jan Janssen, Rudi Altig, Michael Wright, and Manuel Matin-Penira traded the race leader’s Amarillo Jersey for the first eleven stages.
Stage 8: 167 km from Benidorm to Almansa, grand veteran of the Spanish peloton Manuel Martin-Pinera, fondly called “Grandfather”, attacked and rode solo for 157 km to gain the stage win and earn the Amarillo Jersey!!!
Stage 12: A very intense battle was developing as the race got to the highest climbs on the twelfth stage. Meeting the high mountains for the first time in 1968 Spanish climber Jose Pérez-Frances attacked and made his first attempt to breakaway. Through mist, wind, hail, and snow Pérez-Frances rode over the summit of the Puerto de Pajares and proceeded to plunge perilously down the mountain. Pérez-Frances managed to hold on to the lead and win the stage in Gijon. His efforts earned the race leader's Amarillo Jersey by a slim 20 second over German Rudi Altig. He led Italian superstar Felice Gimondi by over a minute. Joyful fans thought the race champion had been decided. Italian star Felice Gimondi, winner of the TdF 1965 and the Giro 1967, had another idea.
Stage 14: Two stages later, the difficult route between Santander and Vitoria, Gimondi, trailing in the GC by 3'03”, launched an attack of his own. Gimondi was away with 50 km remaining on the stage. A five-rider breakaway formed and hit the base of the exceedingly difficult Orduna climb 2 minutes ahead of the race leader's group. Gimondi escaped alone on the descent but was caught by four of the five breakaway riders. He finished fourth on the stage and well ahead of the race leader. He donned the Amarillo Jerseyfor the first time. Rudi Altig lost more than 10 minutes on the stage.
Stage 15: Basque Nationalist ETA (Euskadi Ta Askatasuna) detonated a terrorist bomb along the course of the fifteenth stage from Vitoria to Pamplona. Traumatized by the incident, riders chose not to continue the stage. The race officials were forced to cancel the stage. That evening race organizers were about to cancel the entire Vuelta when team directors urged the race to continue.
Stage 17: With that decision the concerns of the terrorist's distraction were put aside. The penultimate seventeenth stage, a 67 km Individual Time Trial from San Sebastian to Tolosa would decide the 1968 GC. Gimondi won the stage and increased his GC advantage to more than two minutes.
Felice Gimondi on the Podium
Stage 18: One stage later Felice Gimondi (Ita) rode into Bilbao to make cycling history. He became only the second rider in history after Jacques Anquetil (Fra) to win each of the three Grand Tours.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1a Zaragoza-Zaragoza, 130 km |
Jan Janssen (Ned) |
Jan Janssen (Ned) |
Stage 1b Zaragoza-Zaragoza, 4 km ITT |
Jan Janssen (Ned) |
Jan Janssen (Ned) |
Stage 2 Zaragoza-Lerida, 195 km |
Michael Wright (GBr) |
Jan Janssen (Ned) |
Stage 3a Lerida-Barcelona, 165 km |
Tomaso De Pra (Spa) |
Jan Janssen (Ned) |
Stage 3b Barcelona/Montjuich, 38 km |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Stage 4 Barcelona-Salou, 108 km |
Michael Wright (GBr) |
Michael Wright (GBr) |
Stage 5 Salou-Vinaroz, 106 km |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Stage 6 Vinaroz-Valencia, 148 km |
Pietro Guerra (Spa) |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Stage 7 Valencia-Benidorm, 144 km |
Wilfried Peffgen (Ger) |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Stage 8 Benidorm-Almansa, 167 km |
Manuel Martin-Pinera (Spa) |
Manuel Martin-Pinera (Spa) |
Stg 9 Alman. -Alcazar de San Juan, 230 km |
Jose-Maria Errandonea (Spa) |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Stg 10 Alcazar San Juan-Madrid, 173 km |
Domingo Perurena (Spa) |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Stage 11 Madrid-Valencia, 242 km |
Ramon Saez (Spa) |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Stage 12 Villalon de Campos-Gijon, 236 km |
Jose Perez-Frances (Spa) |
Jose Perez-Frances (Spa) |
Stage 13 Gijon-Santander, 203 km |
Victor Van Schil (Bel) |
Jose Perez-Frances (Spa) |
Stage 14 Santander-Vitoria, 244 km |
Eduardo Castello (Spa) |
Felice Gimondi (Ita) |
Stage 15 Vitoria-Pamplona, Canceled |
Stage Canceled (Basque bomb on the course) |
Felice Gimondi (Ita) |
Stg 16 Pamplona-San Sebastian, 204 km |
Luis-Pedro Santamarina (Spa) |
Felice Gimondi (Ita) |
Stg 17 San Sebastian-Tolosa, 67 km ITT |
Felice Gimondi (Ita) |
Felice Gimondi (Ita) |
Stage 18 Tolosa-Bilbao, 206 km |
Manuel Martin-Pinera (Spa) |
 Felice Gimondi (Ita)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
 Franc Gabica (Spa)
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POINTS COMPETITION |
 Jan Janssen (Ned)
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General Classification:
Final General Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Time |
1 |
Felice GIMONDI (Ita) |
Salvarani |
78h 29' 00" |
2 |
Jose Perez-Frances (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
2'15" |
3 |
Eusebio Velez (Spa) |
Fagor-Fargas |
5'08" |
4 |
Jose Maria Errandonea (Spa) |
Fagor-Fargas |
5'19" |
5 |
Vittorio Adorni (Ita) |
Faema |
5'26" |
6 |
Jan Janssen (Ned) |
Pelforth-Sauvage-Lejeune |
5'43" |
7 |
Antonio Gomez del Moral (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
5'55" |
8 |
Carlos Echevarria (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
6'00" |
9 |
Lucien Aimar (Fra) |
Bic |
6'42" |
10 |
Joseph Spruyt (Bel) |
Faema |
7'50" |
11 |
Luis Otano (Spa) |
Fagor-Fargas |
10'39" |
12 |
Jean-Pierre Ducasse (Fra) |
Pelforth-Sauvage-Lejeune |
12'42" |
13 |
Francisco Gabica (Spa) |
Fagor-Fargas |
13'23" |
14 |
Michael Wright (GBr) |
Bic |
14'57" |
15 |
Ventura Diaz (Spa) |
Ferrys |
15'04" |
16 |
Jose-Maria Lopez-Rodriguez (Spa) |
Fagor-Fargas |
17'16" |
17 |
Jose Antonio Momene (Spa) |
Fagor-Fargas |
17'23" |
18 |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Salvarani |
18'43" |
19 |
Andres Gandarias (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
19'54" |
20 |
Cees Haast (Ned) |
Bic |
20'09" |
21 |
Fernando Manzaneque (Spa) |
Karpy |
21'54" |
22 |
Wilfried Peffgen (Ger) |
Salvarani |
24'41" |
23 |
Victor Van Schil (Bel) |
Faema |
24'50" |
24 |
Domingo Perurena (Spa) |
Fagor-Fargas |
27'51" |
25 |
Sebastian Elorza (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
30'52" |
26 |
Johnny Schleck (Lux) |
Pelforth-Sauvage-Lejeune |
31'47" |
27 |
Jose-Manuel Lasa (Spa) |
Kas Kaskol |
32'25" |
28 |
Pedro Santamarina (Spa) |
Fagor-Fargas |
33'55" |
29 |
Juan Maria Uribezubia (Spa) |
Karpy |
35'55" |
30 |
Giancarlo Ferretti (Ita) |
Salvarani |
36'36" |
31 |
Salvador Canet (Spa) |
Ferrys |
36'42" |
32 |
Ramon Saez (Spa) |
Ferrys |
38'21" |
33 |
Jesus Aranzabal (Spa) |
Fagor-Fargas |
39'17" |
34 |
Vicente Lopez-Carril (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
40'28" |
35 |
Roberto Poggiali (Ita) |
Salvarani |
45'01" |
36 |
Gregorio San Miguel (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
46'51" |
37 |
Michel Grain (Fra) |
Bic |
47'55" |
38 |
Martin van den Bossche (Bel) |
Faema |
53'07" |
39 |
Luciano Soave (Ita) |
Faema |
55'35" |
40 |
Manuel Martin-Pinera (Spa) |
Karpy |
59'26" |
41 |
Juan Jose Sagarduy (Spa) |
Karpy |
1h01'39" |
42 |
Fernand Etter (Fra) |
Pelforth-Sauvage-Lejeune |
1h04'45" |
43 |
Paul Lemeteyer (Fra) |
Bic |
1h07'58" |
44 |
Willy Monty (Bel) |
Pelforth-Sauvage-Lejeune |
1h08'29" |
45 |
Lino Farisatto (Ita) |
Faema |
1h10'55" |
46 |
Pietro Guerra (Ita) |
Salvarani |
1h12'20" |
47 |
Edouard Delberghe (Fra) |
Pelforth-Sauvage-Lejeune |
1h14'10" |
48 |
Jose Ramon Goyeneche (Spa) |
Karpy |
1h18'55" |
49 |
Anatole Novak (Fra) |
Bic |
1h30'07" |
50 |
Mario Minieri (Ita) |
Salvarani |
1h35'00" |
51 |
Domingo-Jose Fernandez (Spa) |
Karpy |
1h46'09" |
Final Mountains Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Francisco GABICA (Spa) |
Fagor-Fargas |
62 |
2 |
Antonio Gomez del Moral (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
54 |
3 |
Jose Perez-Frances (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
30 |
4 |
Felice Gimondi (Ita) |
Salvarani |
22 |
5 |
Jose Antonio Momene (Spa) |
Fagor-Fargas |
11 |
Final Points Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Jan JANSSEN (Ned) |
Pelforth-Sauvage-Lejeune |
142 |
2 |
Rudi Altig (Ger) |
Salvarani |
125.5 |
3 |
Michael Wright (GBr) |
Bic |
122.5 |
4 |
Wilfried Peffgen (Ger) |
Salvarani |
105 |
5 |
Jose-Maria Lopez-Rodriguez (Spa) |
Fagor-Fargas |
95 |
VaE 1967
VaE 1969
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