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By Barry Boyce,
CyclingRevealed Historian
 Abraham Olano
VaE Sept 5 - Sept 27, 1998 |
3,781 Km |
Starters: 198 |
Finishers: 108 |
Average Speed: 40.262 km/h x
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Olano Ends Spanish Drought in the Vuelta
The 53rd Vuelta a Espana was held from September 5 to September 27, 1998. The very mountainous racecourse consisted of twenty-two stages covering a total of 3,781 km.
After six years without a Spanish winner, with great fitness Abraham Olano, Fernando Escartin, and Jose-Maria Jimenez came to correct the deficiency.
1998 Vuelta a Espana Race Route Details |
Teams:
- Avianca-Telekom
- Banesto
- Brescialat-Liquigas
- Cantina Tollo
- Casino-AG2R
- Cofidis
- Estepona En Marcha-Brepac
- Euskaltel-Euskadi
- Festina-Lotus
- Credit Agricole
- Kelme-Costa Blanca
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- Lotto-Mobistar
- Mapei-Bricobi
- ONCE-Deutsche Bank
- Polti
- Post Swiss Team
- Rabobank ProTeam
- Saeco-Cannondale
- Team Telekom
- TVM-Farm Frites
- US Postal Service
- Vitalicio Seguros
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Race Summary:
Stage 2: the stage started 3 days of racing across the Andalusian plains, known as the "frying pan" of Spain, due to the intense heat of the region. The peloton hesitated and did not ride hard until the final five kilometers. The always aggressive Ludo Dierckxens attempted a solo attack. After building a 1-minute lead, but he surrendered to heat with 50 kms to the finish. In the final five kms Team TVM drove the pace for sprinter Jeroen Blijlevens. Dutchman Blijlevens won the mass sprint in the coastal City of Cadiz.
Stage 8: The Vuelta transferred to the Island of Mallorca. This stage featured three short tough climbs (Col de Puig Major, Coll de Sa Batalla, Soller) and favored the “puncheur” (riders specializing on rolling terrain with short but steep climbs) of the peloton. On the third and last climb of the day a serious chase started to bring back a dangerous breakaway. On the descent into Palma the time gap disappeared, and the remaining puncheur sprinter flew into the finish. Italian Fabrizio Guidi beat Belgian Peter Van Petegem and Andrei Tchmil for the stage win.
Stage 9: 39.5 km Individual Time Trial around the city of Alcudia, Mallorca, Spaniard Abraham Olano beat Frenchman Laurent Jalabert by 41” and took the race leader's Amarillo Jersey. In the style of Miguel Indurain Banesto’s new team leader averaged 50.3 km/h (31.3 mph). Olano earned his first Amarillo Jersey since 1995.
Stage 10: Spanish climber Jose Maria Jimenez began his assault on the GC with a solo stage win into Andorra Estacio de Pal. He gained 1’31” on his teammate and race leader Olano.
Stage 20- Olano's overall lead was under attack in the mountains. The time gap slowly decreased on every stage. Teammate Jose Maria Jiménez played a significant role and marked Olano's main rivals in the mountains. Jiménez did manage to win four stages in the process and took the Maillot Amarillo from Olano on the final mountain Stage 20 to Alto de Navacerrada. Olano trailed his teammate by 38 seconds with only a 39 km ITT before the finish in Madrid.
Stage 21- On the following day's Individual Time Trial Alex Zulle won the stage. Abraham Olano took back the race lead with a 2’50” time gain on Jimenez.
After six years with no Spanish winner of the Vuelta ONCE’s Abraham Olano rode into Madrid to claim the victory. Fernando Escartín (Spa) finished second with Jose María Jimenez (Spa) third.
SPECIAL NOTE: The 1998 race marked the comeback of American Lance Armstrong after his battle with advanced testicular cancer. In 2012 USADA stripped Armstrong's fourth-place finish due to positive doping tests.
Stage and Distance |
Stage Winner |
Race Leader |
Stage 1 Cordoba-Cordoba, 161.7 km |
Markus Zberg (Sui) |
Markus Zberg (Sui) |
Stage 2 Cordoba-Cadiz, 234.6 km |
Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned) |
Markus Zberg (Sui) |
Stage 3 Cadiz-Estepona, 192.6 km |
Jaan Kirsipuu (Lat) |
Laurent Jalabert (Fra) |
Stage 4 Malaga-Granada, 173.5 km |
Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) |
Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) |
Stage 5 Olula del Rio-Murcia, 165.5 km |
Jeroen Blijlevens (Ned) |
Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) |
Stage 6 Murcia-Xorret de Cati, 201.5 km |
Jose-Maria Jimenez (Spa) |
Jose-Maria Jimenez (Spa) |
Stage 7 Alicante-Valencia, 185 km |
Giovanni Lombardi (Ita) |
Jose-Maria Jimenez (Spa) |
Stage 8 Palma de Mallorca Circuit, 181 km |
Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) |
Jose-Maria Jimenez (Spa) |
Stage 9 Alcudia-Alcudia, 39.5 km ITT |
Abraham Olano (Spa) |
Abraham Olano (Spa) |
Stg 10 Vic-Andorra Estacio de Pal, 199.3 km |
Jose-Maria Jimenez (Spa) |
Abraham Olano (Spa) |
Stage 11 Andorra-Cerler, 186 km |
Jose-Maria Jimenez (Spa) |
Abraham Olano (Spa) |
Stage 12 Benasque-Jaca, 187 km |
Gianni Bugno (Ita) |
Abraham Olano (Spa) |
Stage 13 Sabinanigo-Sabinanigo, 208.5 km |
Andrei Zintchenko (Rus) |
Abraham Olano (Spa) |
Stage 14 Biesca-Zaragoza, 145.5 km |
Marcel Wust (Ger) |
Abraham Olano (Spa) |
Stage 15 Zaragoza-Soria, 178.7 km |
Andrei Zintchenko (Rus) |
Abraham Olano (Spa) |
Stg 16 Soria-Laguna Negra de Nelia, 143.7 km |
Jose-Maria Jimenez (Spa) |
Abraham Olano (Spa) |
Stage 17 Burgos-Leon, 188.5 km |
Marcel Wust (Ger) |
Abraham Olano (Spa) |
Stage 18 Leon-Salamanca, 230 km |
Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) |
Abraham Olano (Spa) |
Stage 19 Avila-Segovia, 170.4 km |
Roberto Heras (Spa) |
Abraham Olano (Spa) |
Stg 20 Segovia-Alto de Navacerrada, 206 km |
Andrei Zintchenko (Rus) |
Jose-Maria Jimenez (Spa) |
Stg 21 Fuenlabrada-Fuenlabrada, 39 km ITT |
Alex Zulle (Sui) |
Abraham Olano (Spa) |
Stage 22 Madrid-Madrid, 163 km |
Markus Zberg (Sui) |
 Abraham Olano (Spa)
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BEST CLIMBER PRIZE |
 Jose-Maria Jimenez (Spa)
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POINTS COMPETITION |
 Fabrizio Guidi (Ita)
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General Classification:
Final General Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Time |
1 |
Abraham OLANO (Spa) |
Banesto |
93h 44' 08" |
2 |
Fernando Escartin (Spa) |
Kelme-Costa Blanca |
+1'23" |
3 |
Jose-Maria Jimenez (Spa) |
Banesto |
+2'12" |
DQd |
Lance Armstrong (USA) |
US Postal Service |
+2'18" |
5 |
Laurent Jalabert (Fra) |
ONCE-Deutsche Bank |
+2'37" |
6 |
Roberto Heras (Spa) |
Kelme-Costa Blanca |
+2'58" |
7 |
Alvaro Gonzalez-Galdeano (Spa) |
Euskaltel-Euskadi |
+5'51" |
8 |
Alex Zulle (Sui) |
Festina-Lotus |
+6'05" |
9 |
Marco Serpellini (Ita) |
Brescialat-Liquigas |
+8'58" |
10 |
Marcos Serrano (Spa) |
Kelme-Costa Blanca |
+10'17" |
11 |
Richard Virenque (Fra) |
+13'33" |
60 |
Pierre Bourquenoud (Sui) |
+1h59'05" |
12 |
Jon Odriozola (Spa) |
+14'05" |
61 |
Serguei Smetanine (Rus) |
+2h01'11" |
13 |
Manuel Beltran (Spa) |
+16'42" |
62 |
Philipp Buschor (Sui) |
+2h01'43" |
14 |
Andrei Zintchenko (Rus) |
+19'14" |
63 |
Fabrizio Guidi (Ita) |
+2h03'08" |
15 |
Jose-Joaq Castelblanco (Col) |
+21'28" |
64 |
Jose Luis Rodriguez (Spa) |
+2h05'05" |
16 |
Oskar Camenzind (Sui) |
+22'25" |
65 |
Steve De Wolf (Bel) |
+2h09'02" |
17 |
David Plaza (Spa) |
+26'00" |
66 |
Franz Hotz (Sui) |
+2h09'03" |
18 |
Fabrice Gougot (Fra) |
+30'05" |
67 |
Nico Mattan (Bel) |
+2h09'37" |
19 |
Gilberto Simoni (Ita) |
+30'32" |
68 |
Cristiano Frattini (Ita) |
+2h10'58" |
20 |
Felix Garcia-Casas (Spa) |
+31'58" |
69 |
Manuel Fernandez-Gines (Spa) |
+2h11'50" |
21 |
Mirko Gualdi (Ita) |
+36'01" |
70 |
Michel Lafis (Swe) |
+2h13'10" |
22 |
Aitor Osa (Spa) |
+36'39" |
71 |
Georg Totschnig (Aut) |
+2h17'53" |
23 |
Inaki Aiarzaguena (Spa) |
+40'55" |
72 |
Herminio Diaz-Zabala (Spa) |
+2h20'53" |
24 |
Angel Castresana (Spa) |
+44'28" |
73 |
Chris Peers (Bel) |
+2h21'30" |
25 |
Claus-Michael Moller (Den) |
+45'06" |
74 |
Marc Wauters (Bel) |
+2h21'43" |
26 |
Jose Luis Rubiera (Spa) |
+47'30" |
75 |
Luis-Maria Diaz de Otazu (Spa) |
+2h27'04" |
27 |
Niki Aebersold (Sui) |
+47'43" |
76 |
Angel Edo (Spa) |
+2h27'43" |
28 |
Inigo Chaurreau (Spa) |
+50'33" |
77 |
Mariano Piccoli (Ita) |
+2h32'49" |
29 |
Jose Ramon Uriarte (Spa) |
+54'09" |
78 |
Maurizio Frizzo (Ita) |
+2h32'51" |
30 |
David Etxebarria (Spa) |
+55'25" |
79 |
Bert Dietz (Ger) |
+2h36'46" |
31 |
Arsenio Gonzalez (Spa) |
+57'09" |
80 |
Francisco Cabello (Spa) |
+2h38'20" |
32 |
Santiago Blanco (Spa) |
+57'42" |
81 |
Kai Hundertmark (Ger) |
+2h40'35" |
33 |
Laurent Brochard (Fra) |
+57'56" |
82 |
Peter Meinert (Den) |
+2h41'29" |
34 |
Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) |
+1h01'02" |
83 |
Alessandro Bertolini (Ita) |
+2h45'09" |
35 |
Melchor Mauri (Spa) |
+1h02'41" |
84 |
Gianni Bugno (Ita) |
+2h49'18" |
36 |
Mikel Zarrabeitia (Spa) |
+1h03'42" |
85 |
Joona Laukka (Fin) |
+2h51'27" |
37 |
Roberto Sgambelluri (Ita) |
+1h03'53" |
86 |
Thierry Marichal (Bel) |
+2h52'02" |
38 |
Javier Pascual (Col) |
+1h08'38" |
87 |
Richard Chassot (Sui) |
+2h52'44" |
39 |
Juan-Carlos Vicario (Spa) |
+1h09'30" |
88 |
Daniel Paradis (Sui) |
+2h53'26" |
40 |
Vitali Kokorin (Rus) |
+1h11'05" |
89 |
Cristian Salvato (Ita) |
+2h54'43" |
41 |
Mario Aerts (Bel) |
+1h11'23" |
90 |
Christian Vandevelde (USA) |
+2h56'33" |
42 |
Unai Etxebarria (Ven) |
+1h14'28" |
91 |
Uwe Peschel (Ger) |
+2h59'55" |
43 |
Frederic Bessy (Fra) |
+1h15'04" |
92 |
Michael Rich (Ger) |
+3h00'57" |
44 |
Federico Munoz (Col) |
+1h16'09" |
93 |
Matias Cagigas (Spa) |
+3h04'54" |
45 |
Julio-Cesar Aguirre (Col) |
+1h18'41" |
94 |
Max Van Heeswijk (Ned) |
+3h05'50" |
46 |
Gianluca Valoti (Ita) |
+1h18'42" |
95 |
Tristan Hoffman (Ned) |
+3h06'06" |
47 |
Pascal Chanteur (Fra) |
+1h19'03" |
96 |
Giancarlo Raimondi (Ita) |
+3h09'44" |
48 |
Jose Vic Garcia-Acosta (Spa) |
+1h27'08" |
97 |
Harald Morscher (Aut) |
+3h10'13" |
49 |
Michael Boogerd (Ned) |
+1h32'35" |
98 |
Francisco Leon (Col) |
+3h11'36" |
50 |
Eleuterio Anguita (Spa) |
+1h33'31" |
99 |
Ruslan Ivanov (Rus) |
+3h12'32" |
51 |
Vincent Cali (Fra) |
+1h33'45" |
100 |
Roger Beuchat (Sui) |
+3h29'04" |
52 |
Inigo Cuesta (Spa) |
+1h35'38" |
101 |
Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) |
+3h30'43" |
53 |
Salvatore Commesso (Ita) |
+1h38'27" |
102 |
Davide Bramati (Ita) |
+3h31'07" |
54 |
Roberto Sierra (Spa) |
+1h42'34" |
103 |
Mark Lotz (Ned) |
+3h36'03" |
55 |
Alberto Leanizbarrutia (Spa) |
+1h42'46" |
104 |
Anthony Rokia (Fra) |
+3h38'59" |
56 |
Giuliano Figueras (Ita) |
+1h43'02" |
105 |
Guido Trenti (USA) |
+3h42'27" |
57 |
Marcus Zberg (Sui) |
+1h43'32" |
106 |
Marcel Wust (Ger) |
+3h45'21" |
58 |
Rolf Huser (Sui) |
+1h47'13" |
107 |
Jonathan Vaughters (USA) |
+3h46'13" |
59 |
Rolf Sorensen (Den) |
+1h49'48" |
108 |
Germán Nieto (Spa) |
+4h'09'30" |
Final Mountains Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Jose-Maria JIMENEZ (Spa) |
Banesto |
184 |
2 |
Laurent Jalabert (Fra) |
ONCE-Deutsche Bank |
93 |
3 |
Fernando Escartin (Spa) |
Kelme-Costa Blanca |
92 |
4 |
Roberto Heras (Spa) |
Kelme-Costa Blanca |
75 |
5 |
Alex Zulle (Sui) |
Festina-Lotus |
62 |
6 |
Richard Virenque (Fra) |
Festina-Lotus |
60 |
7 |
Jose Luis Rubiera (Spa) |
Kelme-Costa Blanca |
59 |
8 |
Santiago Blanco (Spa) |
Vitalicio Seguros |
56 |
9 |
Oskar Camenzind (Sui) |
Mapei-Bricobi |
54 |
10 |
Juan-Carlos Vicario (Spa) |
Estepona En Marcha-Brepac |
48 |
11 |
Manuel Beltran (Spa) |
Banesto |
36 |
12 |
Andrei Zintchenko (Rus) |
Vitalicio Seguros |
33 |
13 |
Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) |
Lotto-Mobistar |
33 |
14 |
Inigo Cuesta (Spa) |
ONCE-Deutsche Bank |
32 |
15 |
Jose Ramon Uriarte (Spa) |
Festina-Lotus |
32 |
Final Points Classification |
Rank |
Name |
Team |
Points |
1 |
Fabrizio GUIDI (Ita) |
Polti |
206 |
2 |
Laurent Jalabert (Fra) |
ONCE-Deutsche Bank |
158 |
3 |
Jose-Maria Jimenez (Spa) |
Banesto |
127 |
4 |
Marcel Wust (Ger) |
Festina-Lotus |
124 |
5 |
Marcus Zberg (Sui) |
Post Swiss Team |
115 |
6 |
Roberto Heras (Spa) |
Kelme-Costa Blanca |
108 |
7 |
Fernando Escartin (Spa) |
Kelme-Costa Blanca |
102 |
8 |
Giancarlo Raimondi (Ita) |
Brescialat-Liquigas |
102 |
9 |
Andrei Zintchenko (Rus) |
Vitalicio Seguros |
101 |
10 |
Abraham Olano (Spa) |
Banesto |
96 |
11 |
Angel Edo (Spa) |
Kelme-Costa Blanca |
94 |
12 |
Serguei Smetanine (Rus) |
Vitalicio Seguros |
83 |
13 |
Alex Zulle (Sui) |
Festina-Lotus |
76 |
14 |
Lance Armstrong (USA) |
US Postal Service |
66 |
15 |
Salvatore Commesso (Ita) |
Saeco-Cannondale |
56 |
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