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By Barry Boyce,
CyclingRevealed Historian
 Giovanni Battaglin
VaE April 21 - May 10, 1981 |
3,446.1 Km |
Starters: 90 (* 80)
* Team Teka withdrew all ten riders before the start of the race. |
Finishers: 55 |
Average Speed: 35.135 km/h x
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Battaglin Starts a Grand Springtime Double
The 1981 Vuelta a Espana was labeled as too easy and almost boring. Most foreign riders stayed away from the race with the exception Italian Giovanni Battaglin (Inoxpran). The Italian climber started the Vuelta as the main favorite for victory in 1981.
SPECIAL NOTE: Days before the start a dispute between Team Teka and Vuelta organizers caused concern. The organizers paid a premium to Spanish team of 500,000 pesetas, but Teka demanded an additional 400,000 pesetas. Race director Luis Puig steadfastly refused to yield to “blackmail” and Teka withdrew from the race *. The team’s action took serious contenders Marino Lejarreta and Alberto Fernandez out of the race.
1981 Vuelta a Espana Race Route Details |
Teams:
- Colchon CR-Campagnolo
- HB Alarm Systemen
- Inoxpran
- Kelme-Gios
- Miko-Mercier-Vivagel
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- Manzaneque-Alan
- Reynolds-Galli
- Teka-Campagnolo (withdrew) *
- Zor-Helios-Novostil
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Race Summary:
Prologue: Young Frenchman Regis Clere earned the first race lead by winning the 6.3 km prologue ITT in 8'26". Giovanni Battaglin lost 17".
Stage 1: The first stage between Santander and Demeanda saw the race adopt a slow pace with attacks at a minimum, the race crossed the finish line 50 minutes slower than the slowest expected “time schedule”!!! Italian sprinters Guido Bontempi (Stg 1 and 3) and Alfredo Chinetti (Stg 2) controlled the early racing.
Battaglin, a brilliant Italian climber, was able to answer the limited number of attacks from the Spanish contenders.
Stage 8b: Battaglin took the race leader’s Maillot Amarillo with a brilliant stage winon the Mountain Time Trial up the tough climb of the Sierra Nevada. Pedro Muñoz finished second on the stage 43” behind.
Battaglin’s lead would not be challenged over the closing stages. The only challenge for the Italian was to watch Pedro Munoz´s rear wheel to become Vuelta winner.
Battaglin in full control
Stage 19: Never seriously challenged Giovanni Battaglin rode into Madrid to claim the 1981 Vuelta a Espana victory!
SPECIAL NOTE: Giovanni Battaglin achieved a very rare springtime “Double Victory” sweeping both the Vuelta a Espana (April 21 to May 10) and the Giro d’Italia (May 13 to June 7) in 1981. With this double victory Battaglin matched the great Eddy Merckx’s 1973 springtime Vuelta/Giro double.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Prologue Santander, 6.3 km ITT |
Regis Clere (Fra) |
Regis Clere (Fra) |
Stage 1 Santander-Aviles, 221 km |
Guido Bontempi (Ita) |
Regis Clere (Fra) |
Stage 2 Aviles-Leon, 159 km |
Alfredo Chinetti (Ita) |
Regis Clere (Fra) |
Stage 3 Leon-Salamanca, 195 km |
Guido Bontempi (Ita) |
Regis Clere (Fra) |
Stage 4 Salamanca-Caceres, 206 km |
Celestino Prieto (Ita) |
Regis Clere (Fra) |
Stage 5 Caceres-Merida, 152 km |
Heddy Nieuwdorp (Ned) |
Regis Clere (Fra) |
Stage 6 Merida-Sevilla, 199 km |
Jos Lammertink (Ned) |
Regis Clere (Fra) |
Stage 7 Ecija-Jaen, 181 km |
Juan Fernandez (Spa) |
Regis Clere (Fra) |
Stage 8a Jaen-Granada, 100 km |
Jose-Maria Yurrebaso (Spa) |
Regis Clere (Fra) |
Stage 8b Granada-Sierra Nevada, 30.5 km ITT |
Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) |
Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) |
Stage 9 Baza-Murcia, 204 km |
Manuel Murga (Spa) |
Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) |
Stage 10 Murcia-Almusafes, 223 km |
Kim Andersen (Den) |
Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) |
Stage 11 Almusafes-Peniscola, 193 km |
Jesus Suarez-Cueva (Spa) |
Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) |
Stage 12 Peniscola-Esparraguera, 217 km |
Frederic Vichot (Fra) |
Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) |
Stg 13 Esperraguera-Rasos de Peguera, 187 km |
Vicente Belda (Spa) |
Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) |
Stage 14 Gironella-Balaguer, 197 km |
J-L Lopez-Cerron (Spa) |
Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) |
Stage 15a Balaguer-Alfajarin, 146 km |
Pedro Munoz (Spa) |
Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) |
Stage 15b Zaragoza, 11.3 km ITT |
Regis Clere (Fra) |
Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) |
Stage 16 Catalayud-Torrejon de Ardoz, 209 km |
Bernardo Pino (Spa) |
Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) |
Stage 17 Torrejon de Ardoz-Segovia, 150 km |
Miguel-Maria Lasa (Spa) |
Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) |
Stg 18 Segovia-Los Angeles de Rafael, 175 km |
Angel Arroyo (Spa) |
Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) |
Stage 19 Madrid/Circuito San Isidro, 84 km |
Francisco-Javier Cedena (Spa) |
 Giovanni Battaglin (Ita)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
 Jose-Luis Laguia (Spa)
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POINTS COMPETITION |
 Jesus Suarez-Cueva (Spa)
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General Classification:
Final General Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Time |
1 |
Giovanni BATTAGLIN (Ita) |
Inoxpran |
98h 04' 49" |
2 |
Pedro Munoz (Spa) |
Zor-Helios-Novostil |
2'09" |
3 |
Vicente Belda (Spa) |
Kelme-Gios |
2'29" |
4 |
Jorgen Marcussen (Den) |
Inoxpran |
3'33" |
5 |
Antonio Coll (Spa) |
Colchon CR-Campagnolo |
4'26" |
6 |
Angel Arroyo (Spa) |
Zor-Helios-Novostil |
4'30" |
7 |
Jose-Luis Laguia (Spa) |
Reynolds-Galli |
6'05" |
8 |
Faustino Ruperez (Spa) |
Zor-Helios-Novostil |
7'09" |
9 |
Regis Clere (Fra) |
Miko-Mercier-Vivagel |
7'23" |
10 |
Miguel-Maria Lasa (Spa) |
Zor-Helios-Novostil |
10'54" |
11 |
Eduardo Chozas (Spa) |
12'48" |
34 |
Didier Lebaud (Fra) |
1h11'44" |
12 |
Luciano Loro (Spa) |
13'49" |
35 |
Manuel Gutierrez-Mayor (Spa) |
1h16'26" |
13 |
Antonio Cabrero (Spa) |
16'17" |
36 |
Per Bausager (Ger) |
1h21'03" |
14 |
Alfonso Dal Pian (Ita) |
17'17" |
37 |
Jos Schipper (Ned) |
1h25'54" |
15 |
Peter Zijerveld (Ned) |
19'55" |
38 |
Rene Bittinger (Fra) |
1h28'42" |
16 |
Angel De las Heras (Spa) |
22'32" |
39 |
Ricardo Zuniga (Spa) |
1h29'15" |
17 |
Enriq Martinez-Heredia (Spa) |
26'16" |
40 |
Marc Revoul (Fra) |
1h29'34" |
18 |
Juan Pujol (Spa) |
27'36" |
41 |
Félix Perez (Spa) |
1h31'33" |
19 |
Francisco-Javier Cedena (Spa) |
29'46" |
42 |
Ignacio Fandos (Spa) |
1h33'21" |
20 |
Guillermo De la Pena (Spa) |
30'24" |
43 |
Jose Nazabal (Spa) |
1h34'03" |
21 |
Frederic Vichot (Fra) |
31'54" |
44 |
Francisco-Javier Lopez (Spa) |
1h35'41" |
22 |
Alvaro Pino (Spa) |
33'24" |
45 |
Giancarlo Perini (Ita) |
1h40'56" |
23 |
Jose-Luis Lopez-Cerron (Spa) |
36'30" |
46 |
Jorge Fortia (Spa) |
1h42'54" |
24 |
Amilcare Sgalbazzi (Ita) |
39'49" |
47 |
Heddy Nieuwdorp (Ned) |
1h50'11" |
25 |
Anastasio Greciano (Spa) |
44'44" |
48 |
Hugues Grondin (Fra) |
1h56'07" |
26 |
Celestino Prieto (Spa) |
47'17" |
49 |
Jesus Hernandez-Ubeda (Spa) |
1h59'22" |
27 |
Alfredo Chinetti (Ita) |
50'28" |
50 |
Antonio Cabello (Spa) |
2h03'48" |
28 |
Jac Van Meer (Ned) |
50'36" |
51 |
Gines Garcia (Spa) |
2h05'19" |
29 |
Angel Camarillo (Spa) |
56'13" |
52 |
Juan-Luis Juarez (Spa) |
2h16'00" |
30 |
Kim Andersen (Den) |
1h00'19" |
53 |
Pierre-Henri Mentheour (Fra) |
2h17'58" |
31 |
Jesus Guzman (Spa) |
1h01'56" |
54 |
Miguel Acha (Spa) |
2h32'48" |
32 |
Jesus Suarez-Cuevas (Spa) |
1h07'35" |
55 |
Jose Teixeira (Spa) |
3h01'10" |
33 |
Patrice Thevenard (Fra) |
1h09'50" |
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Final Mountains Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Jose-Luis LAGUIA (Spa) |
Reynolds-Galli |
144 |
2 |
Vicente Belda (Spa) |
Kelme-Gios |
98 |
3 |
Jose-Luis Lopez-Cerron (Spa) |
Zor-Helios-Novostil |
69 |
4 |
Giovanni Battaglin (Ita) |
Inoxpran |
60 |
5 |
Pedro Munoz (Spa) |
Zor-Helios-Novostil |
57 |
Final Points Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Francisco-Javier CEDENA (Spa) |
Colchon CR-Campagnolo |
211 |
2 |
Jesus Suarez-Cuevas (Spa) |
Kelme-Gios |
137 |
3 |
Miguel-Maria Lasa (Spa) |
Zor-Helios-Novostil |
134 |
VaE 1980
VaE 1982
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