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By Barry Boyce, CyclingRevealed Historian
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Ruperez and a Little Help from his Friends
Roberto Visentini gained the first stage win in the the prologue time trial and donned the first Maillot Amarillo of the 1980 Vuelta a Espana.
Irishman Sean Kelly sprinted to the wins on the first two flat stages before Zor-Vereco's Faustino Rupérez was the winner in the first mountainous Stage 5 to Seo de Urgel. The race leader’s Maillot Amarillo transferred to Rupérez.
In full control of the race Rupérez had his race lead challenged on the penultimate Stage 18 across Sierra Madrileña. Second placed in the General Classification was Kelme’s Pedro Torres, he attacked on the climb to Puerto de la Morcuera. Rupérez could not answer the attack. As time was being lost Zor-Vereco teammates Miguel Mari Lasa, Juan Fernandez and Angel Arroyo paced the struggling race leader back to the lead breakaway. Rupérez's Maillot Amarillo was saved.
One stage later Faustino Rupérez rode into Madrid to claim the Vuelta a Espana victory.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Prologue La Manga, 10 km ITT |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
Stage 1 La Manga-Benidorm, 155 km |
Sean Kelly (Ire) |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
Stage 2 Benidorm-Cullera, 170 km |
Sean Kelly (Ire) |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
Stage 3 Cullera-Vinaroz, 207 km |
Giuseppe Martinelli (Ita) |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
Stage 4 Vinaroz-San Quirce, 214 km |
Klaus-Peter Thaler (Ger) |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
Stage 5 San Quirze-Seo de Urgel, 200 km |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 6 Seo de Urgel-Viella, 131 km |
Enrique Martinez-Heredia (Spa) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 7 Viella-Jaca, 216 km |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 8 Monasterio de Leyre-Logrono, 160 km |
Eulalio Garcia (Spa) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 9 Logrono-Burgos, 138 km |
Jos Lammertink (Ned) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 10 Burgos-Santander, 178 km |
Paul Jesson (Nzl) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 11 Santander-Gijon, 219 km |
Jesus Lopez-Carril (Spa) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 12 Santiago de Compostela-Pontvdra, 133 km |
Etienne De Wilde (Bel) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 13 Pontevedra-Vigo, 195 km |
Rolf Haller (Ger) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 14 Vigo-Orense, 156 km |
Sean Kelly (Ire) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 15 Orense-Ponferrada, 164 km |
Javier Elorriaga (Spa) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 16a Ponferrada-Leon, 131 km |
Dominique Arnaud (Fra) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 16b Leon-Leon, 22.8 km ITT |
Roberto Visentini (Ita) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 17 Leon-Valladolid, 138 km |
Sean Kelly (Ire) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 18 Vallad.-Los Angeles de San Rafael, 197 km |
Manuel Esparza (Spa) |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Stage 19 Madrid-Madrid, 84 km |
Sean Kelly (Ire) |
 Faustino Ruperez (Spa)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
 Juan Fernandez (Spa) |
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POINTS COMPETITION |
 Sean Kelly (Ire) |
| VaE April 22 - May 11, 1980 |
| 3,216.8 km |
1. Faustino RUPEREZ (Spa) 88h23'21" |
2. Pedro Torres (Spa) +2'15" |
3. Claude Criquielion (Bel) +3'00" |
Starters: 110 |
Finishers: 63 |
Average Speed: 36.393 km/h |
VaE 1979
VaE 1981
Return to the Timeline ToC
Return to the Race Snippets |
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35th Vuelta a Espana 1980
