Vuelta 2001    Preview    Stage List    Past winners

Preview

By Jeff Jones

The last of the three grand tours for 2002 has been presented today in Madrid. The 57th edition of the Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain) is longer (3144 km), but not necessarily harder than this year's sub-3000 kilometre tour. It contains roughly the same number of climbs, but with only four mountain top finishes as opposed to seven in 2001. A 30 km team time trial and two individual time trials (95 km total) will help to keep the Vuelta interesting up until the final stage once again.

Starting on Spain's east coast in Valencia with a 30 kilometre team time trial, the Vuelta winds its way to the south of the country, passing via Sierra Nevada (2510 m), the highest point in the tour. This massive climb marks the finish of Stage 5, which at 210 kilometres is also the longest stage in the Vuelta 2002. Stage 6 is also a mountain top finish, with the 1840 m climb of Sierra de la Pandera coming at the end of 153 kilometres of racing.

The first individual time trial is Stage 10, starting and finishing in Córdoba. It's 50 kilometres long and fairly flat, and it will be a key stage in next year's tour, before the commencement of the second half. A rest day is scheduled right after the TT, and then it's back into the mountains with one of the toughest stages, Stage 11 from Alcobendas and passing via the Puerto de Navacerrada (Cat. 1, 1880 m) before the descent to Collado Villalba.

Stages 13 to 15 skirt around the Pyrenees, culminating with the feared ascent of Alto El Angliru, a steep 1570 m climb that ends the 15th stage. The second rest day follows this stage. The last two mountain stages on Stage 18 and 19 will also provide some serious challenges, especially Stage 18 from Salamanca-Estación de Esquí La Covatilla (191 km), which finishes with a 2010 m Special category climb.

The Vuelta finishes in Madrid again with a 45 kilometre individual time trial, starting in Warner Bros. Park and finishing in the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. This should provide the perfect grand finale to the final grand tour of 2002.

Stage List

Stage 1 - September 7: Valdencia-Valencia TTT, 30 km
Stage 2 - September 8: 8 Valencia-Alcoi, 138 km
Stage 3 - September 9: San Vicente del Raspeig-Murcia , 140 km
Stage 4 - September 10: Aguilas-Roquetas de Mar, 148 km
Stage 5 - September 11: El Ejido-Sierra Nevada, 210 km
Stage 6 - September 12: Granada-Sierra de la Pandera (Jaén), 153 km
Stage 7 - September 13: Jaén-Málaga , 198 km
Stage 8 - September 14: Málaga-Ubrique, 172 km
Stage 9 - September 15: Córdoba-Córdoba, 153 km
Stage 10 - September 16: Córdoba-Córdoba ITT, 50 km
Rest Day - September 17
Stage 11 - September 18: Alcobendas-Collado Villalba, 162 km
Stage 12 - September 19: Segovia-Burgos, 187 km
Stage 13 - September 20: Burgos-Santander, 178 km
Stage 14 - September 21: Santander-Gijón, 180 km
Stage 15 - September 22: Gijón-Alto de L'Angliru (La Vega-Riosa), 176 km
Rest Day - September 23
Stage 16 - September 24: Avilés-León, 145 km
Stage 17 - September 25: Benavente-Salamanca, 150 km
Stage 18 - September 26: Salamanca-Estación de Esquí La Covatilla (Béjar), 191 km
Stage 19 - September 27: Béjar-Avila, 178 km
Stage 20 - September 28: Avila-Warner Bros. Park, 160 km
Stage 21 - September 29: Warner Bros. Park-Estadio Santiago Bernabeu (Madrid) ITT, 45 km

Summary

21 Stages
10 Medium and high mountain stages
3 Special category, 11 first category, 7 second category climbs 4 Mountain top finishes
2 Individual time trials (95 km total)
1 Team time trial (30 km)
Total distance: 3144 km

Past winners

2001 Angel Casero (Spa)     Oscar Sevilla (Spa)       Levi Leipheimer (USA)
2000 Roberto Heras (Spa)    Angel Casero (Spa)        Pavel Tonkov (Rus)
1999 Jan Ullrich (Ger)      Igor Glez. Galdeano (Spa) Roberto Heras (Spa)
1998 Abraham Olano (Spa)    Fernando Escartin (Spa)   José Maria Jiminez (Spa)
1997 Alex Zülle (Swi)       Fernando Escartin (Spa)   Laurent Dufaux (Swi)
1996 Alex Zülle (Swi)       Laurent Dufaux (Swi)      Tony Rominger (Swi)
1995 Laurent Jalabert (Fra) Abraham Olano (Spa)       Johan Bruyneel (Bel)
1994 Tony Rominger (Swi)    Mikel Zarrabeitia (Spa)   Pedro Delgado (Spa)
1993 Tony Rominger (Swi)    Alex Zülle (Swi)          Ludino Cubino (Spa)
1992 Tony Rominger (Swi)    Jesus Montoya (Spa)       Pedro Delgado (Spa)
1991 Melchior Mauri (Spa)   Miguel Indurain (Spa)     Marino Lejaretta (Spa)
1990 M. Giovannetti (Ita)   P. Delgado (Spa)          A. Fuerte (Spa)
1989 P. Delgado (Spa)       F. Parra (Col)            O. Vargas (Col)
1988 S. Kelly (Ire)         R. Dietzen (Ger)          A. Fuerte (Spa)
1987 L. Herrera (Col)       R. Dietzen (Ger)          L. Fignon (Fra)
1986 A. Pino (Spa)          R. Millar (GB)            S. Kelly (Ire)
1985 P. Delgado (Spa)       R. Millar (GB)            F. Rodriguez (Col)
1984 E. Caritoux (Fra)      A. Fernandez (Spa)        R. Dietzen (Ger)
1983 B. Hinault (Fra)       M. Lejarreta (Spa)        A. Fernandez (Spa)
1982 M. Lejaretta (Spa)     M. Pollentier (Bel)       S. Nilsson (Swe)
1981 G. Battaglin (Ita)     P. Munoz (Spa)            V. Belda (Spa)
1980 F. Ruperez (Spa)       P. Torres (Spa)           C. Criquielion (Bel)
1979 J. Zoetemelk (Ned)     F. Galdos (Spa)           M. Pollentier (Bel)
1978 B. Hinault (Fra)       J. Pesarrodona (Spa)      J. Bernaudeau (Fra)
1977 F. Maertens (Bel)      M. Lasa (Spa)             K. Thaler (Ger)
1976 J. Pesarrodona (Spa)   L. Ocana (Spa)            J. Nazabal (Spa)
1975 A. Tamames (Spa)       D. Perurena (Spa)         M. Lasa (Spa)
1974 J. Fuente (Spa)        J. Agostinho (Por)        M. Lasa (Spa)
1973 E. Merckx (Bel)        L. Ocana (Spa)            B Thévenet (Fra)
1972 J. Fuente (Spa)        M. Lasa (Spa)             A. Tamames (Spa)
1971 F. Bracke (Bel)        W. David (Bel)            L. Ocana (Spa)
1970 L. Ocana (Spa)         A. Tamames (Spa)          H. Vanspringel (Bel)
1969 R. Pingeon (Fra)       L. Ocana (Spa)            W. Wagtmans (Ned)
1968 F. Gimondi (Ita)       J. Perez-Frances (Spa)    E. Velez (Spa)
1967 J. Janssen (Ned)       J. Ducasse (Fra)          A. Gonzalez (Spa)
1966 F. Gabica (Spa)        E. Velez (Spa)            C. Echeverria (Spa)
1965 R. Wolfshohl (Ger)     R. Poulidor (Fra)         R. Van Looy (Bel)
1964 R. Poulidor (Fra)      L. Otana (Spa)            J. Perez-Frances (Spa)
1963 J. Anquetil (Fra)      M. Colmenarejo (Spa)      M. Pacheco (Spa)
1962 R. Altig (Ger)         J. Perez-Frances (Spa)    S. Elliott (Ire)
1961 A. Soler (Spa)         F. Mahé (Fra)             J. Perez-Frances (Spa)
1960 F. De Mulder (Bel)     A. Desmet (Bel)           M. Pacheco (Spa)
1959 A. Suarez (Spa)        J. Segu (Spa)             R. Van Looy (Bel)
1958 J. Stablinski (Fra)    P. Fornara (Spa)          F. Manzaneque (Spa)
1957 J. Lorono (Spa)        F. Bahamontes (Spa)       B. Ruiz (Spa)
1956 A. Conterno (Ita)      J. Lorono (Spa)           R. Impanis (Bel)
1955 J. Dotto (Fra)         J. Quillez (Spa)          R. Geminiani (Fra)
1950 E. Rodriguez (Spa)     M. Rodriguez (Spa)        J. Serra (Spa)
1948 B. Ruiz (Spa)          E. Rodriguez (Spa)        B. Capo (Spa)
1947 W. Van Dijck (Bel)     M. Costa (Spa)            D. Rodriguez (Spa)
1946 D. Langarica (Spa)     J. Berrendero (Spa)       J. Lambrichs (Ned)
1945 D. Rodriguez (Spa)     J. Berrendero (Spa)       J. Gimeno (Spa)
1942 J. Berrendero (Spa)    D. Chafer (Spa)           A. Sancho (Spa)
1941 J. Berrendero (Spa)    F. Trueba (Sp)            J. Jabardo (Spa)
1936 G. Deloor (Bel)        A. Deloor (Bel)           A. Bertola (Spa)
1935 G. Deloor (Bel)        M. Canardo (Spa)          A. Dignef (Bel)

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