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By Barry Boyce,
CyclingRevealed Historian
 Jose-Manuel Fuente
VaE April 23 - May 12, 1974 |
2,987.9 Km |
Starters: x90 * (88- 2 riders DNS) |
Finishers: 55 |
Average Speed: 34.420 km/h x
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Excitement until the Very LAST MINUTE!!!
The Vuelta a Espana organizers answered complaints of Spanish fans and riders, who were critical of the easy race route in 1973, by increasing the difficulty of the 1974 race profile. The course was much to the delight of the climbers. The 1974 Vuelta was billed as a showdown between the 1973 Tour de France Podium with Luis Ocana, Bernard Thevenet, and Jose Manuel Fuente (also the 1972 Vuelta winner).
1974 Vuelta a Espana Race Route Details |
Teams:
- Bic
- Coelima-Benfica
- Ijsboerke-Colner
- KAS-Kaskol
- La Casera-Bahamontes
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- Magiglace-Juaneda
- MIC-De Gribaldy-Ludo
- Monteverde
- Peugeot-BP-Michelin
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Race Summary:
Stage 13: On the thirteenth stage from Leon to the summit of Monte Naranco eight riders escaped early on the Alto del Pajares. Leading the group was Miguel-Maria Lasa, the teammate of race leader Fuente. Chasing was contender Joaquim Agostinho (Por) with Fuente in tow. The breakaway took a lead of 4'30" in advance on the peloton. Team KAS’s director sportif Eusebio Velez ordered the team members in the breakaway not to work. Velez does not consider the danger represented by Agostinho in the chase group but wants Fuente in the breakaway. Fuente’s teammate Miguel-Maria Lasa has designs on the race leader’s jersey. The Spanish veteran was offended by the lack of confidence from his director sportif. The relationship between the KAS teammates became strained.
The group now led by Fuente went back over the original breakaway and Fuente launches his own effort off the front of the group. On the finishing climb of Monte Naranco, he flew away solo. A huge crowd cheered wildly when Fuente accomplished a beautiful stage win, 50 seconds ahead of Lasa and 1’31” in front of Luis Ocana.
SPECIAL NOTE: Ocana complained after the stage at the behavior of the fans. He received loud boos and insults because of his insistence that Fuente and Lasa not be selected for the 1973 Spanish National Team for the World Championship Road Race held in Barcelona.
Stage 18: Misfortune enters the story on the eighteenth stage when the race leader crashed heavily on the streets of Eiber. Cover in blood, the courageous Fuente remounted and finished the stage losing only 41" to the stage winner Agustin Tamames. In the General Classification his time gap on second placed Lasa was reduced to +1'32", and 2'35" to the dangerous Joaquim Agostinho.
Race leader Fuente chasing after his Stage 18 crash
Stage 19b: There remained only one opportunity to catch Fuente, the Stage 19b Individual Time Trial on final day. Third placed Agostinho was a master at the "race against the clock" and was a heavy favorite for the stage win. Agostinho did not disappoint his fans, he won the stage and in the process, set a course time record. The pressure was on the last rider on the course, race leader Fuente. All eyes turned to the stopwatch. Fuente needed to complete the course with no more than +2’35” to retain the GC lead. Inspired the race leader crossed the finish line in ninth place, +2’24” behind Agostinho and retained the race lead by +11”.
The 1974 Vuelta victory was Fuente’s second. He joined Belgian Gustaaf Deloor (1935 and 1936) and Spaniard Julien Berrendero (1941 and 1942) as winners to gain two victories.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Prologue Almeria, 5 km ITT |
Roger Swerts (Bel) |
Roger Swerts (Bel) |
Stage 1 Almeria Circuit, 98 km |
Eddy Peelman (Bel) |
Roger Swerts (Bel) |
Stage 2 Almeria-Granada, 187 km |
Eric Leman (Bel) |
Bernard Thevenet (Fra) |
Stage 3 Granada-Fuengirola, 161 km |
Rik Van Linden (Bel) |
Bernard Thevenet (Fra) |
Stage 4 Marbella-Sevilla, 206 km |
Rik Van Linden (Bel) |
Domingo Perurena (Spa) |
Stage 5 Sevilla-Cordoba, 139 km |
Domingo Perurena (Spa) |
Domingo Perurena (Spa) |
Stage 6 Cordoba-Cuidad Real, 211 km |
Eddy Peelman (Bel) |
Domingo Perurena (Spa) |
Stage 7 Ciudad Real-Toledo, 126 km |
Domingo Perurena (Spa) |
Domingo Perurena (Spa) |
Stage 8 Toledo-Madrid, 167 km |
Roger Swerts (Bel) |
Domingo Perurena (Spa) |
Stg 9 Madrid-Los Angeles/San Rafael, 158 km |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Domingo Perurena (Spa) |
Stage 10a Los Angeles, 5 km ITT |
Raymond Delisle (Fra) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 10b Los Angeles-Avila, 125 km |
Martin Martinez (Fra) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 11 Avila-Valladolid, 168 km |
Jose-Luis Uribezubia (Spa) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 12 Valladolid-Leon, 203 km |
Roger Swerts (Bel) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 13 Leon-Monte Naranco, 128 km |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 14 Oviedo-Cangas de Onis, 134 km |
Joaquim Agostinho (Por) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 15 Cangas de Onis-Laredo, 210 km |
Juan-Manuel Santisteban (Spa) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 16 Laredo-Bilbao, 133 km |
Gerben Karstens (Ned) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 17 Bilbao-Miranda de Ebro, 157 km |
Agustin Tamames (Spa) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 18 Miranda de Ebro-Eibar, 152 km |
Agustin Tamames (Spa) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 19a Eibar-San Sebastian, 79 km |
Manuel-Antonio Garcia (Spa) |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Stage 19b Anoeta, 35.9 km ITT |
Joaquim Agostinho (Por) |
 Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
 Jose-Luis Abilleira (Spa)
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POINTS COMPETITION |
 Domingo Perurena (Spa)
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General Classification:
Final General Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Time |
1 |
Jose-Manuel FUENTE (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
103h05'57" |
2 |
Joaquim Agostinho (Por) |
Bic |
11" |
3 |
Miguel-Maria Lasa (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
1'09" |
4 |
Luis Ocana (Spa) |
Bic |
1'58" |
5 |
Domingo Perurena (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
4'29" |
6 |
Jose-Antonio Gonzalez-Linares (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
5'56" |
7 |
Jean-Pierre Danguillaume (Fra) |
Peugeot-BP-Michelin |
6'29" |
8 |
Jose-Luis Uribezubia (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
6'33" |
9 |
Ventura Diaz (Spa) |
Monteverde |
8'25" |
10 |
Roger Swerts (Bel) |
IJsboerke-Colner |
8'28" |
11 |
Fernando Mendes (Por) |
8'32" |
34 |
Julien Stevens (Bel) |
37'55" |
12 |
Antonio Vallori (Spa) |
9'23" |
35 |
Ronny Van de Vijver (Bel) |
38'39" |
13 |
Jose-Luis Abilleira (Spa) |
9'31" |
36 |
Bernard Bourreau (Fra) |
39'17" |
14 |
Antonio Menendez (Spa) |
12'28" |
37 |
Jose Pesarrodona (Spa) |
43'28" |
15 |
Regis Ovion (Fra) |
13'37" |
38 |
Guy Sibille (Fra) |
46'31" |
16 |
Javier Elorriaga (Spa) |
14'01" |
39 |
Juan-Manuel Santisteban (Spa) |
46'41" |
17 |
Agustin Tamames (Spa) |
14'55" |
40 |
Fernando Plaza (Spa) |
47'45" |
18 |
Jan Van de Wiele (Bel) |
16'52" |
41 |
Manuel Esparza (Spa) |
50'42" |
19 |
Juan Zurano (Spa) |
17'48" |
42 |
Cesar Aires (Por) |
53'52" |
20 |
Santiago Lazcano (Spa) |
18'03" |
43 |
Jean-Pierre Guitard (Fra) |
56'13" |
21 |
Jose-Antonio Ponton (Spa) |
19'48" |
44 |
Manuel-Antonio Garcia (Spa) |
1h00'13" |
22 |
Eric Leman (Bel) |
22'37" |
45 |
Willy Govaerts (Bel) |
1h00'18" |
23 |
Noel Van Clooster (Bel) |
26'45" |
46 |
Ronny Van Marcke (Bel) |
1h03'13" |
24 |
Jesus Manzaneque (Spa) |
27'07" |
47 |
Joaquim Leite (Por) |
1h03'46" |
25 |
Wenceslao Fernandes (Por) |
27'13" |
48 |
Gerben Karstens (Ned) |
1h05'03" |
26 |
Joaquim Andrade (Por) |
28'52" |
49 |
Claude Aiguesparses (Fra) |
1h07'09" |
27 |
Sylvain Vasseur (Fra) |
29'00" |
50 |
Ludo Van der Linden (Bel) |
1h07'39" |
28 |
Antonio Alcon (Spa) |
31'54" |
51 |
Eufronio-Enr Sahagun (Spa) |
1h07'51" |
29 |
Andre Mollet (Fra) |
32'22" |
52 |
Joaquin Perez-Soliva (Spa) |
1h20'31" |
30 |
Luis Balague (Spa) |
33'05" |
53 |
Martin Martinez (Fra) |
1h22'26" |
31 |
Willy In't Ven (Bel) |
34'36" |
54 |
Freddy Libouton (Bel) |
1h51'01" |
32 |
Roger Legeay (Fra) |
34'58" |
55 |
Eddy Peelman (Bel) |
1h57'59" |
33 |
Jose Casas (Spa) |
35'50" |
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Final Mountains Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Jose-Luis ABILLEIRA (Spa) |
La Casera-Pena Bahamontes |
108 |
2t |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
61 |
Luis Ocana (Spa) |
Bic |
Joaquim Agostinho (Por) |
Bic |
Final Points Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Domingo PERURENA (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
210 |
2 |
Eric Leman (Bel) |
MIC-De Gribaldy-Ludo |
186 |
3 |
Miguel-Maria Lasa (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
159 |
4 |
Roger Swerts (Bel) |
IJsboerke-Colner |
133.5 |
5 |
Gerben Karstens (Ned) |
Bic |
127 |
6 |
Javier Elorriaga (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
123.5 |
7 |
Agustin Tamames (Spa) |
Coelima-Benfica |
97 |
8 |
Joaquim Agostinho (Por) |
Bic |
95.5 |
9 |
Jose-Manuel Fuente (Spa) |
Kas-Kaskol |
95 |
10 |
Jean-Pierre Danguillaume (Fra) |
Peugeot-BP-Michelin |
85.5 |
VaE 1973
VaE 1975
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