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By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian
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Excitement until the Very Last Minute
The Vuelta a Espana organizers answered complaints of 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 José Manuel Fuente (also the 1972 Vuelta winner).
On Stage 13 from Leon to the summit of Monte Naranco eight riders escaped on the Alto del Pajares. Leading the group was Miguel-Maria Lasa, the teammate of race leader Fuente. Chasing was Joaquim Agostinho (Por) with Fuente in tow. The breakaway took a lead of 4'30" in advance on the peloton. KAS’s director sportif Eusebio Velez order to the team members in the break was not to work. Velez does not consider the danger represented by Agostinho in the chase group and wants Fuente in the breakaway. Fuente’s teammate Miguel-Maria Lasa has designs on the race leader’s jersey and 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 was soundly heckled and received insults because of his insistence that Fuente and Lasa not be selected for the 1973 Spanish World Championship National team. The WC road race was being held in Spain.
Misfortune enters the story on Stage 18 when the race leader crashed at the finish 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 is reduced to 1'32"; and 2'35" to the dangerous Joaquim Agostinho.
Race leader Fuente chasing after his Stage 18 crash
There remained only one opportunity to catch Fuente, the Stage 19b individual time trial on final day. The third place Agostinho was a master time trailer and was a heavy favorite for the stage win. Agostinho did not disappoint, he won the stage and in the process set a time record. The pressure was on the last rider on the course, race leader Fuente. Fuente crossed the line in ninth place, 2’24” behind Agostinho.
The 1974 Vuelta victory belonged to José Manuel Fuente by only 11 seconds over Joaquim Agostinho. The victory was his second and he became the third Vuelta winner to gain two victories with Belgian Gustaaf Deloor (1935 and 1936) and Spaniard Julien Berrendero (1941 and 1942).
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) |
Stage 9 Madrid-Los Angeles de 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-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) |
| VaE April 23 - May 12, 1974 |
| 2,987.9 km |
1.
Jose-Manuel FUENTE (Spa) 86h48'18" |
2.
Joaquim Agostinho (Por) +11" |
3.
Miguel-Maria Lasa (Spa) +1'09" |
Starters: 88 |
Finishers: 55 |
Average Speed: 34.420 km/h |
VaE 1973
VaE 1975
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29th Vuelta a Espana 1974
