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By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian
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Vuelta Champion with No Stage Wins
The 1976 Vuelta a Espana was billed a battle between Luis Ocana, Domingo Perurena, and Dutchman Hennie Kuiper. However, it would be KAS teammate Jose Pesarrodona, whose consistent riding would vault the Spaniard onto the top step of the podium in San Sebastian.
Pesarrodona won the Vuelta thanks to solid stage finishes and dutiful attention to opportunities for time gains, he did not win a stage but he was among the top places in the General Classification on every stage.
The GC was close coming into the final stage, a 31.7 km time trial in San Sebastian. Hennie Kuiper started the stage in the race leader’s Golden Jersey but a very tight GC put the Vuelta's victory on the line. German Dietrich Thurau took the stage win 1” ahead of Pesarrodona. Kuiper did not perform well and lost over 2 minutes to the Spaniard. He gave up the race lead to Pesarrodona at the very last second.
The unsung Jose Pesarrodona earned the 1976 Vuelta a Espana victory. Luis Ocana, the per race favorite, finished second with Hennis Kuiper falling to 6th in the final General Classification.
1976 Vuelta victory: Jose Pesarrodona (Spa)
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Prologue Estepona, 3.2 km ITT |
Dietrich Thurau (Ger) |
Dietrich Thurau (Ger) |
Stage 1 Estepona-Estepona, 135 km |
Joseph De Cauwer (Bel) |
Joseph De Cauwer (Bel) |
Stage 2 Estepona-Priego de Cordoba, 224 km |
Roger Gilson (Lux) |
Joseph De Cauwer (Bel) |
Stage 3 Priego de Cordoba-Jaen, 177 km |
Theo Smit (Ned) |
Joseph De Cauwer (Bel) |
Stage 4 Jaen-Baza, 166 km |
Hennie Kuiper (Ned) |
Javier Elorriaga (Spa) |
Stage 5 Baza-Cartagena, 201 km |
Theo Smit (Ned) |
Javier Elorriaga (Spa) |
Stage 6 Cartagena, 14 km ITT |
Joaquim Agostinho (Por) |
Joaquim Agostinho (Por) |
Stage 7 Cartagena-Murcia, 136 km |
Ferdi Van den Haute (Bel) |
Joaquim Agostinho (Por) |
Stage 8 Murcia-Almansa, 219 km |
Georges Pintens (Bel) |
Joaquim Agostinho (Por) |
Stage 9 Almansa-Nules, 208 km |
DietrichThurau (Ger) |
DietrichThurau (Ger) |
Stage 10 Nules-Cambrils, 226 km |
J-A Gonzalez-Linares (Spa) |
DietrichThurau (Ger) |
Stage 11 Cambrils-Barcelona, 151 km |
Antonio Vallori (Spa) |
DietrichThurau (Ger) |
Stage 12 Pamplona-Logrono, 168 km |
Gerben Karstens (Ned) |
DietrichThurau (Ger) |
Stage 13 Logrono-Palencia, 209 km |
Dirk Ongenae (Bel) |
DietrichThurau (Ger) |
Stage 14 Palencia-Gijon, 249 km |
Cees Priem (Ned) |
DietrichThurau (Ger) |
Stage 15 Gijon-Cangas de Onis, 141 km |
Vicente Lopez-Carril (Spa) |
Joaquim Agostinho (Por) |
Stage 16 Cangas de Onis-Reinosa, 156 km |
Dietrich Thurau (Ger) |
Joaquim Agostinho (Por) |
Stage 17 Reinosa-Bilbao, 183 km |
Arthur Van de Vijver (Bel) |
Hennie Kuiper (Ned) |
Stage 18 Bilbao-Santuario de Oro, 204 km |
Dietrich Thurau (Ger) |
Hennie Kuiper (Ned) |
Stage 19a Murguia-San Sebastian, 139 km |
Dirk Ongenae (Bel) |
Hennie Kuiper (Ned) |
Stage 19b San Sebastian, 31.7 km ITT |
Dietrich Thurau (Ger) |
 Jose Pesarrodona (Spa)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
 Andres Oliva (Spa) |
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POINTS COMPETITION |
 Dietrich Thurau (Ger) |
| VaE April 27 - May 16, 1976 |
| 3,340.9 km |
1.
Jose PESARRODONA (Spa) 93h19'10" |
2.
Luis Ocana (Spa)+ 1'03" |
3.
Jose Nazabal (Spa)+ 1'41" |
Starters: 100 |
Finishers: 49 |
Average Speed: 35.814 km/h |
VaE 1975
VaE 1977
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31st Vuelta a Espana 1976
